NEW YORK, April 4, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ --

WM Recycle America, a subsidiary of Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE: WM), announced the kickoff of the WM NYeCycles Service, which allows electronics manufacturers in New York State to comply with the NYS Electronic Equipment Recycling and Reuse Act.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090219/WMLOGO)

Effective April 01, 2011, the act requires manufacturers of certain electronic equipment to establish convenient systems for the collection, handling, and recycling or reuse of electronic waste. WM NYeCycles Service offers 148 permanent eCycling locations, more than any other service in the state of New York. By joining the WM NYeCycles Service, manufacturers ensure they comply with all requirements set forth by the act, and guarantee all materials will be handled and recycled in the most environmentally responsible way.

Personal electronics (such as computers, cell phones, televisions, gaming systems and printers) make up a large part of the waste stream. According to the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), Americans own approximately 24 electronic products per household. Furthermore, US EPA reports of the 2.25 million tons of TVs, cell phones and computer products ready for end-of-life (EOL) management, 18% (414,000 tons) was collected for recycling and 82% (1.84 million tons) was disposed of, primarily in landfills. The new WM NYeCycles Service delivers an environmentally responsible option for industrial, commercial and residential customers affected by the Act to divert e-waste from landfills and into recycling facilities.

By recycling old electronic products, useful materials such as glass, plastic and metal can be re-used in the manufacture of other products. As a member of the WM NYeCycles Service, manufacturers will employ an end of life electronics recycling solution that embodies the care, environmental standards, and service that customers have come to expect from the leader in recycling services. The WM NYeCycles Service offers various collection methods, which include an established network of collection sites, mail back programs and community electronics recycling events to help meet manufacturers' collection goals and requirements. A list of WM NYeCycles Service sites across the state can be found athttp://www.greenopolis.com/wm/nyecycles.

A dedicated technical staff under a single organizational structure manages the varying degrees and requirements to help manufacturers in states with eCycling legislation. WM Recycle America offers a fully integrated solution combining a web-based software application that provides real-time access to documentation and online reports to manage state obligation needs.

The processing of the collected electronic materials will be undertaken by Regional Computer Recycling and Recovery (RCRR) located in Victor, NY. WM Recycle America is a signature to the BAN (Basel Action Network) pledge and operates in accordance with Responsible Recycling (R2) Practices for Use in Accredited Certification Programs.

WM Recycle America operates all e-waste processing standards in accordance with its Environmental Stewardship Pledge. Also, WM Recycle America holds its processing subcontractors to the same set of standards and has an auditing/inspection process in place to confirm compliance.

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 the largest residential recycler 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 or www.thinkgreen.com.

WM Recycle America is a subsidiary of Waste Management and is the largest recycler in North America. WM Recycle America's business lines include processing many types of consumer-generated recyclables and finding the best markets for the recyclable commodities produced. In its capacity of providing processing and marketing services, WM Recycle America offers a wide variety of recycling options for municipal, manufacturing, commercial and residential customers.

SOURCE Waste Management, Inc.