RBC Canadian Open Ranks Highest in Overall Sustainability among Participating  PGA TOUR Golf Tournaments

PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 20, 2015-- Waste Management (NYSE: WM) announced today that the RBC Canadian Open was named the winner of the second annual Sustainability Challenge, a contest sponsored by Waste Management to encourage all PGA TOUR tournaments to engage in and advance sustainable practices at their respective events. With this distinction, the RBC Canadian Open joins the ranks of the Sustainability Challenge inaugural winner, the Shell Houston Open and the Waste Management Phoenix Open as PGA TOUR tournaments that demonstrate the value of responsible sustainability practices.

The RBC Canadian Open received the highest cumulative score for Materials Management, Natural Resources Tracking and Conservation, Economic Impact and Overall Sustainability. Waste Management sustainability experts scored participating tournaments’ submissions and were pleased to note that ninety-one percent of the 22 PGA TOUR tournaments that submitted applications have a recycling program in place and track their diversion of waste from landfills. As the winner, RBC Canadian Open leadership will attend the upcoming Waste Management Phoenix Open and Waste Management’s fifth annual Executive Sustainability Forum.

RBC Canadian Open employs numerous sustainable practices at the carbon-neutral tournament including: reducing waste by diverting it from landfills and into recycling and organics facilities; providing sorting stations where spectators bring their waste and volunteers place it in proper recycling or composting receptacles; donating unused food to local food banks; offering sustainable transportation options and more. The Royal Montreal Golf Club, home of the 2014 RBC Canadian Open, is also certified as an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary golf course, a designation earned for its certification in six categories: Environmental Planning, Chemical Use Reduction & Safety, Water Conservation, Water Quality Management, Wildlife & Habitat Management, and Outreach & Education.

“We are committed to making the RBC Canadian Open a green event,” said Bill Paul, chief championship officer and tournament director of the RBC Canadian Open. “We are proud to work with RBC and all of our partners to ensure our tournament continues to be a positive example of best practices to reduce the event’s environmental impact within the markets we conduct the championship.”

“As a zero waste event, the award-winning Waste Management Phoenix Open has set the ‘green’ standard for sustainability in sports,” said Jim Trevathan, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Waste Management. “The Sustainability Challenge provides Waste Management the opportunity to recognize the successes of a growing number of PGA TOUR tournaments like the RBC Canadian Open that are expanding their green initiatives so that others will continue to be encouraged to ‘green’ the game of golf.”

As Waste Management Phoenix Open title sponsor, Waste Management continues to advance innovative programs that dramatically increase environmental and social responsibility at the tournament. The Waste Management Phoenix Open, a zero waste event also known as the “Greenest Show on Grass,” has become a major platform for highlighting Waste Management’s sustainability initiatives, including the four Rs – reduce, reuse, recycle and recover.

Through the tournament’s “Zero Waste Challenge,” Waste Management successfully diverted 100 percent of waste away from landfills in 2013 and 2014. This year, Waste Management continues its Zero Waste Challenge as part of its company-wide effort to manage 20 million tons of recyclable materials annually by the year 2020 and extract more value from all of the materials the company manages.

ABOUT WASTE MANAGEMENT

Waste Management, based in Houston, Texas, is the leading provider of comprehensive waste management services in North America. Through its subsidiaries, the company provides collection, transfer, recycling and resource recovery, and disposal services. It is also a leading developer, operator and owner of landfill gas-to-energy facilities in the United States. The company’s customers include residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers throughout North America. To learn more information about Waste Management, visit www.wm.com or www.thinkgreen.com.

Source: Waste Management

Waste Management
Janette Micelli, 602-579-6152
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