IOWA CITY, Iowa, Sept. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Waste Management and the University of Iowa unveiled a new single-stream recycling program today. The new recycling program is designed to help the University of Iowa meet and even exceed its goal to divert 60% of the waste generated on campus by 2020.

While recycling has been available on campus, this new single-stream program allows students, faculty, staff and others to easily recycle paper, plastics, cardboard, tin, aluminum and other materials in one receptacle. Recycling containers will be placed in and around many buildings across the University of Iowa campus to help maximize the amount of recycled materials diverted from Iowa landfills.

"Our new streamlined recycling program enables the University of Iowa to recycle more items than ever before on campus," said Liz Christensen, Director of the U of I Office of Sustainability. "Recycling is one of the keys to the University's sustainability initiative and this new program gives our community easy, new ways to contribute to the overall success."

The University community will immediately begin seeing new single-stream signage and labels along with Waste Management recycling containers across the campus. The program will be phased in at major buildings over the next several months. A full list of what can and cannot be recycled on campus is available at http://sustainability.uiowa.edu/assets/Uploads/Single-Stream-Electronic-Poster.pdf

"The University of Iowa has taken a major step forward in their leading efforts to be sustainable by introducing this efficient single-stream program," said Carrie Spencer, Waste Management spokesperson. "On campus, there are so many opportunities to recycle items that previously ended up in trash cans."

As North America's largest recycler, Waste Management has also delivered new dock-side recycling containers throughout the campus where single-stream material will be collected for transport to a recyclable materials sorting facility.

To find out what can be recycled in your area or for more information on recycling, visit http://www.wm.com/ or http://www.thinkgreen.com/. In addition, be sure to follow Waste Management on Twitter and Facebook for additional recycling information.

About Waste Management

Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE WM), based in Houston, Texas, is the leading provider of comprehensive waste management services in North America. Our subsidiaries provide collection, transfer, recycling, and resource recovery and disposal services. We are also the largest residential recycler and a leading developer, operator and owner of waste-to-energy facilities in the United States. Our customers include residential, commercial, industrial and municipal customers throughout North America. To learn more visit http://www.wm.com/ or http://www.thinkgreen.com/.

Waste Management of Iowa

Carrie Spencer
515-480-9117
cspence4@wm.com

University of Iowa Office of Sustainability

Liz Christiansen
319-335-5516
liz-christiansen@uiowa.edu

SOURCE Waste Management