Waste Management and Recyclebank Launch Recycling Rewards in Florida Communities

HOUSTON and NEW YORK, Sept. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE: WM) and Recyclebank® today announced the launch of Recyclebank's rewards-for-recycling program in the Florida communities of Osceola County and the City of Tamarac. With these launches, Waste Management and Recyclebank are furthering their collaboration in helping communities boost recycling rates in the state of Florida, which established a statewide recycling goal of 75 percent to be achieved by the year 2020 with the Energy, Climate Change, and Economic Security Act of 2008 (House Bill 7135).[1] Recyclebank rewards people for everyday green actions, such as recycling, with discounts and deals from local businesses and national brands.

Alongside the launch of the Recyclebank program, this week Waste Management and Osceola County also kicked off the community's first ever curbside recycling program. This represents a new era, that is, single-stream recycling for Osceola County residents in which all recyclables — including plastics, paper/paperboard, glass and metal — go into the same container. In Tamarac, the city is augmenting its curbside recycling program with Recyclebank. The launch of this program comes in two phases: all single-family home residents are now eligible to participate in the program and later this fall, multifamily units will be able to take part. With this launch, Tamarac becomes the first city in the nation to have both single-family home and multifamily unit recycling incentives from Recyclebank.

"With its admirable statewide recycling goal, Florida is a trailblazer in the recycling community and an example for all states. At Waste Management, we're taking this mandate very seriously and are committed to working in collaboration with Recyclebank to help communities across the state meet this goal," said Dawn McCormick, Manager of Community Affairs at Waste Management. "In Florida and across the United States, we are optimistic that we can help more communities increase waste diversion rates and make a positive impact on the environment."

Recyclebank is similar to a frequent flyer program, but better.  Members earn points for living a more sustainable lifestyle. Residents in both communities can now earn Recyclebank Points each time they recycle and use those points to "shop" for rewards.

In October 2011, Waste Management and Recyclebank joined forces, with a goal to bring the innovative rewards-for-recycling program to more than 20 million Waste Management customers. In 2012, Recyclebank launched in many Waste Management communities, including Fort Worth, Texas, Little Rock, Ark., and others.

In addition to significant environmental benefits, increased recycling also has a positive impact on municipal finances through disposal cost savings and revenues from the sale of recyclables.

"At Recyclebank, we've seen firsthand the impact that communities, businesses and governments can have when they work together and inspire people to live more eco-consciously. In Florida, Osceola County and the City of Tamarac are prime examples of such communities taking impressive strides to be greener," said Gillan Taddune, Southern Region Client Services VP at Recyclebank. "Over the past year, it's been exhilarating to see the impact that our collaboration with Waste Management has already had on communities across the country. We look forward to working together to help Osceola County, Tamarac and other Florida communities boost recycling rates, stimulate the local economy and deliver real value to families."

With this partnership, Osceola County and the City of Tamarac join other communities in Miami-Dade County, Broward County and Orlando suburbs, as well as more than 300 communities across all 50 states and the U.K. that have implemented Recyclebank. Osceola County and Tamarac residents are encouraged to sign up with Recyclebank at www.Recyclebank.com/WM.

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 www.wm.com or www.thinkgreen.com.

ABOUT RECYCLEBANK
Recyclebank helps create a more sustainable future by rewarding people for taking everyday green actions with discounts and deals from more than 4,000 local businesses and national brands. Through its online platform and partnerships with municipalities, haulers, small businesses and corporate brands, Recyclebank empowers individuals to make a collective impact on the environment by increasing household recycling and taking other environmentally-friendly actions. A Certified B Corporation, Recyclebank has been recognized as a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum, a Champion of the Earth by the United Nations Environment Programme and for Outstanding Excellence in Public/Private Partnerships from the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Recyclebank is headquartered in New York City. For more information, visit www.Recyclebank.com.

[1] The Energy, Climate Change, and Economic Security Act of 2008 (House Bill 7135) signed into law by former Governor Crist created Section 403.7032, Florida Statutes. This established a new statewide recycling goal of 75 percent to be achieved by 2020. http://www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/recyclinggoal75/default.htm

MEDIA CONTACTS
Carrie Griffiths | Waste Management
603-929-3350| [email protected]

Jeff Harse | Recyclebank
(212) 659-6491 | [email protected]

Elissa Ehrlich | Bateman Group for Recyclebank
(347) 230-6640 | [email protected]

SOURCE Recyclebank