Event organizers will benefit from observation and critique of their certification applications by team of sustainability professionals.

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 22, 2016-- In a joint release today, Waste Management (NYSE:WM) and the Council for Responsible Sport announced a significant enhancement to the Council’s event certification program. Waste Management’s Sustainability Services team will become the primary on-the-ground evaluators for events applying for Council certification in 2016.

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“Having worked closely with Council staff on certification of the 2013 and 2015 Waste Management Phoenix Open golf tournaments, we know how valuable third-party observation of an event can be for an event organizer,” said Tom Carpenter, Waste Management’s Sustainability Services director. “We look forward to adding value to the Council for Responsible Sport’s innovative program of sustainable event certification in the coming year.”

Ethan Nelson, Council Board Chair, added: “We are pleased to welcome the Waste Management Sustainability Services team onboard as our primary evaluators for events for 2016. Waste Management Sustainability Services is a nationwide network of environmental professionals with vast project management experience. This team is well versed in other industry sustainability processes including those provided by the International Standards Organization, Global Reporting Initiative, and the Carbon Disclosure Project.”

Nelson went on to say: “While on-site evaluation has always been a basic tenet of the Council’s certification process, and the best way to assure compliance with our certification standards, the addition of the Waste Management team will have a tremendously positive impact on our certification program going forward. Event organizers will benefit greatly from having an experienced, objective, professional observer offer suggestions for improving efforts and implementing additional sustainability initiatives at future events.”

In their role as primary evaluators, the Waste Management team will confirm on-the-ground implementation of an event applicant’s sustainability plans and policies, document what they observe, and create a list of observations and recommendations for improvement. Waste Management will only evaluate events where there are no conflicts.

The calendar of events applying for Council certification in 2016 is still being finalized, but it is anticipated that the Waste Management team will evaluate the following events: IAAF World Indoor Track & Field Championships in Portland, Oregon; TD Five Boro Bike Tour in New York City; U.S. Olympic Trials – Track & Field in Eugene, Oregon; Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle in Chicago; Bank of America Chicago Marathon; Marine Corps Marathon in Arlington, Virginia; Eversource Hartford Marathon in Hartford, Connecticut; and TD Beach to Beacon 10 K in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. Other events will be added to the evaluation schedule throughout the year.

ABOUT THE COUNCIL FOR RESPONSIBLE SPORT

The Council’s vision is a world where responsibly produced sports events are the norm and its mission is to provide objective, independent verification of the socially and environmentally responsible work event organizers are doing to make a difference in their communities. The current version of the Council’s Certification standards (v.4.2) was developed by an outside working group of both sustainability and sport industry experts, reviewed by a wide range of stakeholders throughout 2013 and implemented in January 2014. www.CouncilforResponsibleSport.org.

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.

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Source: Waste Management and Council for Responsible Sport

Council for Responsible Sport
Keith Peters, 307-690-6803
Keith@CouncilForResponsibleSport.org
or
Waste Management
Tiffiany Moehring, 720-346-5372
tmoehrin@wm.com