PHOENIX, Nov. 17, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Waste Management today announced that it will launch its Zero Waste Challenge - an initiative aimed at educating vendors and patrons about proper disposal of waste, so that eventually zero waste is sent to the landfill - at the 2012 Waste Management Phoenix Open. This year, Waste Management's goal is to divert 90 percent of tournament waste away from landfills and into recycling and composting facilities. In addition, the company hopes to recover 70 percent of the total waste, either as recyclable paper, cardboard, plastics, aluminum or as compost material.

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As part of the Zero Waste campaign, Waste Management in conjunction with the Thunderbirds will work with all tournament vendors to ensure that everyone is using recyclable and compostable materials. And for the first time ever, there will be no trash receptacles along the course. Instead, Waste Management will offer two alternatives to waste disposal - Recycling Bins and Compost Bins - which will collect and keep separate recoverable recycling waste and recoverable compostable food waste, diverting nearly all tournament materials from the landfill.

"The Zero Waste Challenge is an incredible opportunity for Waste Management to energize and educate this broad audience about our efforts to triple the amount of recyclable materials nationwide by the year 2020," said Waste Management senior vice president Duane Woods. He adds, "As a company committed to extracting the most value possible from all of the materials we manage, we continue to look for ways to make WMPO the greenest tournament on the PGA Tour."

Underscoring the company's commitment to the Zero Waste campaign, Waste Management will showcase many green initiatives along the course:

• Recycling Stations in high-traffic areas, staffed with "Recycling Ambassadors" to answer any questions about using the recycling and composting bins.

• Waste Management will work closely with WMPO vendors to monitor their use of water throughout the week in order to increase overall conservation.

• Use of greywater, or wastewater generated from the concessionaire's kitchens will be recycled for use in portable toilets. Last year this effort conserved 1,476 gallons of fresh water.

• Recyclebank Kiosks, or reverse vending machines, offering various incentives or retailer discount coupons to patrons who use them.

• Sixty WM solar-powered compactors along the course to allow patrons to dispose of their food waste more efficiently (these machines hold five times the amount of waste as a traditional non-compacting bin, which reduces the trips needed to service them).

• Four compressed natural gas (CNG) trucks to transport the waste and recycled materials that are collected during the tournament. The fuel in these trucks burns cleaner than a standard diesel truck and therefore will reduce fleet emissions associated with transportation.

• Waste Management's hospitality tent will be powered by electricity generated from a portable solar power unit provided by First Solar.

Recycling Ambassadors will play an important role in educating tournament attendees, monitoring recycling and food waste receptacles and increasing awareness of the waste diversion goals for the 2012 Waste Management Phoenix Open. Recycling Ambassadors will serve as a guide to assist fans with proper disposal of materials and will actively engage with fans and answer any questions they may have. For additional information about volunteering as a Recycling Ambassador, visit www.wmphoenixopen.com/volunteer.

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 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 http://www.wm.com/ or http://www.thinkgreen.com/.

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities exchange Act of 1934. Statements relating to future events and performance are "forward-looking statements" and include statements regarding expansion of product and service lines, development new facilities, market growth and future contributions to sustainability goals. Forward-looking statements are often identified by words, "will," "may," "should," "continue," "anticipate," "believe," "expect," "plan," "forecast," "project," "estimate," "intend," and words of similar nature. You should view these statements with caution. They are based on the facts and circumstances known to us as of the date the statements are made. A number of risks and uncertainties, either alone or taken together, could have a material adverse effect on us and could cause actual results to be materially different from those set forth in such forward-looking statement. Some of these risks and uncertainties are described in detail in Waste Management's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009, as files with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of future events, circumstances or developments or otherwise.

SOURCE Waste Management