EXHIBIT 11.1
                             WASTE INDUSTRIES, INC.
                       COMPUTATION RE: EARNINGS PER SHARE
   


                                                                                                   PRO FORMA (1)
                                                                                              YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31,
                                                                                          1994          1995          1996
                                                                                                          
Net Income..........................................................................   $2,727,599    $4,170,424    $4,203,886
Weighted average number of common shares issued and outstanding.....................    9,564,353     9,564,353     9,600,157
Common stock equivalents --
  Options for common stock..........................................................       35,804        39,721       396,000
Weighted average common stock equivalents...........................................    9,600,157     9,604,074     9,996,157
Less treasury shares assumed to be repurchased......................................       (3,892)       (4,871)     (175,304)
Weighted average shares outstanding.................................................    9,596,265     9,599,203     9,820,853
Net income per share................................................................        $0.28         $0.43         $0.43

    
 
(1) The pro forma number of shares reflect the (i) exchange by the Company of
    its common stock on a share-for-share basis for all of the outstanding
    common stock of the following companies affiliated through common ownership:
    Waste Enterprises, Inc., Waste Industries South, Inc., Waste Industries
    West, Inc., Waste Industries East, Inc., Kabco, Inc., Conway 378, Inc. and
    AmLease, Inc. in April 1996 (ii) stock dividend of nine nonvoting common
    shares for each voting common share in 1995 and (iii) a 1-for-2.5 reverse
    stock split and the conversion of all nonvoting common shares to common
    shares in 1997.
Note: Fully diluted earnings per share are not presented as potentially dilutive
      securities, in the aggregate, dilute primary earnings per share by less
      than three percent.