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                                  SCHEDULE 13G

                    Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                               (Amendment No.  )*


                           Casella Waste Systems, Inc.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                (Name of Issuer)

                      Class A Common Stock, par value $.01
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                         (Title of Class of Securities)

                                   14744810
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                 (CUSIP Number)

Check the following box if a fee is being paid with this  statement [ ]. (A fee
is not required only if the filing person:  (1) has a previous statement on file
reporting  beneficial  ownership  of more  than  five  percent  of the  class of
securities  described  in Item 1;  and (2) has  filed  no  amendment  subsequent
thereto reporting beneficial ownership of five percent or less of such class.)
(See Rule 13d-7).

* The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting  person's
initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and
for any  subsequent  amendment  containing  information  which  would  alter the
disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

The information required in the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed
to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of
1934 ("Act") or otherwise  subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act
but  shall be  subject  to all other  provisions  of the Act  (however,  see the
Notes).


SEC 1745 (2-95)                Page 1 of 6 pages


- -------------------------                           ---------------------------
|CUSIP No. 14744810     |              13G         |   Page  2  of   6  Pages |
|          --------     |                          |        ---     ---       |
- -------------------------                           ---------------------------

|--------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
|  1     |  NAME OF REPORTING PERSON                                           |
|        |  S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON                  |
|        |                                                                     |
|        |     Douglas R. Casella                                              |
|--------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
|  2     |  CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*         (a) [ ]  |
|        |                                                            (b) [ ]  |
|        |     Inapplicable                                                    |
|--------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
|  3     |  SEC USE ONLY                                                       |
|        |                                                                     |
|--------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
|  4     |  CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION                               |
|        |                                                                     |
|        |     U.S.A.                                                          |
|--------|-----------------|--------|------------------------------------------|
|                          |   5    | SOLE VOTING POWER                        |
|                          |        |   1,224,816 shares                       |
|        NUMBER OF         |--------| -----------------------------------------|
|         SHARES           |   6    | SHARED VOTING POWER                      |
|      BENEFICIALLY        |        |   1,600* shares                          |
|        OWNED BY          ----------------------------------------------------|
|          EACH            |   7    |  SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER                  |
|       REPORTING          |        |   1,224,816 shares                       |
|         PERSON           ----------------------------------------------------|
|          WITH            |   8    |  SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER                |
|                          |        |   1,600 shares                           |
|--------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
|   9    | AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON        |
|        |                                                                     |
|        |     1,224,816 shares (Including the following: (a) 565,550 shares   |
|        |     of Class A Common Stock; (b) 494,100 shares of Class B Common   |
         |     Stock; (c) 151,666 shares which Mr. Casella has the right to    |
         |     acquire within 60 days of December 31, 1997 upon the exercise   |
         |     of options; and (d) 13,500 shares which Mr. Casella has the     |
         |     right to acquire within 60 days of December 31, 1997 upon the   |
         |     exercise of warrants.)                                          |
|--------|- -------------------------------------------------------------------|
|  10    | CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN       |
|        | SHARES*                                                             |
|        |     X                                                               |
|--------|- -------------------------------------------------------------------|
|  11    | PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9                     |
|        |     11.6%                                                           |
|--------|- -------------------------------------------------------------------|
|  12    |  TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON *                                         |
|        |      IN                                                             |
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      *SEE INSTRUCTION BEFORE FILLING OUT!

                                Page 2 of 6 pages

CUSIP NO.            14744810


Item 1(a)            Name of Issuer:
                     ---------------

                     Casella Waste Systems, Inc.


Item 1(b)            Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices:
                     ------------------------------------------------

                     25 Greens Hill Lane
                     Rutland, Vermont  05401


Item 2(a)            Name of Person Filing:
                     ----------------------
                     Douglas R. Casella


Item 2(b)            Address of Principal Business Office or if None, Residence:
                     -----------------------------------------------------------

                     Douglas R. Casella
                     c/o Casella Waste Systems, Inc.
                     25 Greens Hill Lane
                     Rutland, Vermont  05401


Item 2(c)            Citizenship:
                     ------------

                     United States of America


Item 2(d)            Title of Class of Securities:
                     -----------------------------

                     Class A Common Stock, $.01 par value


Item 2(e)            CUSIP Number:
                     -------------

                     14744810


Item 3               Description of Person Filing:
                     -----------------------------

                     Inapplicable


Item 4               Ownership:
                     ----------

                     (a)   Amount Beneficially owned:

                           1,226,416

                           This amount includes 1,600 shares held by Mr.
                           Harry R. Ryan III as trustee for Mr. Casella's
                           children, Joseph Casella and 


- --------------------------
*  As of December 31, 1997


                                Page 3 of 6 pages

CUSIP NO.            14744810


                               Kristen Casella, each a beneficiary of a trust
                               holding 800 shares. Mr. Casella does not have
                               voting power of such shares and disclaims
                               beneficial ownership thereto. In addition, such
                               amount includes the right to acquire within sixty
                               days of December 31, 1997, 165,166 shares upon
                               the exercise of options and warrants.

                      (b)      Percent of class: 11.6%

                      (c)       Number of shares as to which such person has:

                               (i)   Sole power to vote or to direct the 
                                     vote: 1,224,816

                               (ii)  Shared power to vote or to direct the 
                                     vote:  1,600

                               (iii) Sole power to dispose or to direct the 
                                     disposition of:  1,224,816

                               (iv)  Shared power to dispose or to direct the
                                     disposition of:  1,600


Item 5               Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class:
                     ---------------------------------------------

                     Inapplicable


Item 6               Ownership of More than Five Precent on Behalf of 
                     Another Person:
                     -------------------------------------------------

                     Mr. Harry R. Ryan III has the power to direct the receipt
                     of dividends from, or the proceeds from the sale of, the
                     1,600 shares subject to the trusts referred to above in
                     Item 4(a), of which Mr. Ryan is the trustee.


Item 7               Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary Which
                     Acquired the Security Being Reported on By the Parent
                     Holding Company:
                     ---------------------------------------------------------

                     Inapplicable


Item 8               Identification of Members of the Group:
                     ---------------------------------------

                     Inapplicable


                               Page 4 of 6 pages


CUSIP NO.            14744810


Item 9               Notice of Dissolution of a Group:
                     ---------------------------------

                     Inapplicable


Item 10              Certification:
                     --------------

                     Inapplicable


                               Page 5 of 6 pages



CUSIP NO.            14744810




                                    SIGNATURE


     After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I
certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and
correct.


                                                          February 9, 1998
                                                    ----------------------------
                                                                Date

                                                      /s/ Douglas R. Casella
                                                    ----------------------------
                                                          Douglas R. Casella





                               Page 6 of 6 pages