Nov 16, 2012 (Marketwire via COMTEX) -- Waste Management (NYSE: WM) recently celebrated America Recycles Day by dedicating its new Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) located at the Rolling Meadows Recycling and Disposal Facilities in Topeka, Kan. The MRF will provide area customers with increased recycling and disposal services that are safe, convenient and environmentally friendly.

"The Materials Recovery Facility allows us to help the region go green by increasing single-stream recycling services," said Kent Harrell, Director of Collection Operations, Waste Management. "The Rolling Meadows MRF is an important step in our efforts to expand recycling options for customers in Topeka, Shawnee County and surrounding areas."

"The Materials Recovery Facility allows Shawnee County to grow as a regional center and make it a greener place to live and work," said Ted Ensley, Shawnee County Commissioner. "We are proud to work with Waste Management on this investment that will lessen the environmental footprint of the county and the region."

Serving the Topeka metro area, and other areas in Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri, the new facility will sort and process recyclable newspaper, cardboard, aluminum, glass, plastics and scrap metal. As a result of the new MRF, it is estimated that there will be an additional $4M in economic activity in Shawnee County each year, including 18-20 new jobs.

"This facility is a win-win for Kansas," said Pat George, Secretary for Kansas Department of Commerce. "The Rolling Meadows MRF not only provides environmental benefits, it creates jobs, encourages community development and promotes the state as a wonderful place to work. Overall, it's an exciting investment for the region."

Single-steam technology will allow customers to place recyclables into a single container without the need to separate these materials in their homes or workplaces. This system is expected to increase recycling rates by 50 percent and encourage residents to participate in the effort to make recycling a priority in their communities.

"The Rolling Meadows Materials Recovery Facility will yield major environmental and economic benefits to northeast Kansas by providing an efficient system for recycling and marketing a significant part of our household and commercial waste streams," said Aaron Dunkel, Deputy Secretary Kansas Department of Health and Environment. "There are many benefits of increased recycling including conservation of valuable landfill space and natural resources, reduced pollution in product manufacturing, and new jobs to collect and process recyclables."

As North America's largest recycler, Waste Management recycles almost 13 million tons of commodities annually. The company has set a sustainability initiative to nearly triple the amount of recyclable materials it recovers, from approximately 8 million tons in 2011 to over 20 million tons by 2020. The Rolling Meadows Materials Recovery Facility is a part of the company's plan to achieve this goal. The full plan can be found in Waste Management's Sustainability Report.

For helpful reminders and recycling tips, visit www.wm.com. Be sure to follow Waste Management on Twitter and Facebook for additional recycling information.

ABOUT WASTE MANAGEMENT
Waste Management, Inc., 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 one of the largest residential recyclers and a leading developer, operator and owner of waste-to-energy and 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.

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