Waste Management 'Think Green®' Grants Help Provide Local Solutions Improving Community Environments

-- Keep America Beautiful affiliates share $150,000 in grants --

STAMFORD, Conn., Sept. 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Fifteen Keep America Beautiful (KAB) affiliates will share $150,000 in cash grants sponsored by Waste Management (NYSE: WM). The Waste Management Think Green® Community Improvement Grants are part of a nationwide effort encouraging the development of local solutions designed to improve community environments.

For the fourth year, WM is collaborating with KAB to offer merit-based grants to KAB's nearly 600 local affiliates nationwide. To qualify, affiliates present innovative and ambitious proposals for projects encouraging education and community involvement to support environmental stewardship. This year, 55 organizations submitted proposals to receive a WM Think Green® Grant.  

"The ambitious work of our affiliates demonstrates our mission to engage individuals in taking greater responsibility for improving their community environments," said Matthew M. McKenna, president and CEO of Keep America Beautiful. "We look forward to seeing all of these important projects come to fruition thanks to the generosity of WM's grants program."

The winning programs are highly creative, reflecting the diverse interests and needs of the communities involved. These programs encourage recycling and reuse, provide hands-on environmental education, convey the importance of stewardship to the public through a variety of means such as public service announcements, videos and booklets, and enhance neighborhoods through beautification and community greening. Support of these initiatives marks WM's continuing commitment to local community quality of life, and to building awareness about sustainable resources for effective management of waste.

"WM and KAB are committed to providing environmental solutions that make our communities cleaner and safer, and improve the quality of life," said Barry Caldwell, WM senior vice president of public affairs and communications and chairman of the KAB board. "WM is honored to be able to partner with an organization that supports its affiliates in implementing creative solutions to enhance our communities."

Waste Management partners with KAB on additional programs, which include community beautification grants (target/showcase) and as a National Sponsor for Keep America Beautiful's Great American Cleanup™, the nation's largest community improvement program.

Waste Management 2010 Think Green® Grant Recipients are listed below. For details on winning proposals, visit kab.org:

• Keep Austin Beautiful, Texas   
• Keep Brevard Beautiful, Fla.    
• Keep Chatsworth-Murray Beautiful, Ga.     
• Keep Denton Beautiful, Texas  
• Keep Hot Springs - Garland Beautiful, Ark.
• Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Ind.
• Keep Knoxville Beautiful, Texas  
• Keep Pensacola-Escambia Clean & Green, Fla.   
• Keep Phoenix Beautiful, Ariz.  
• Keep Pine Bluff-Jefferson County Clean & Beautiful, Ark.    
• Keep Pinellas Beautiful, Fla.     
• Keep Plano Beautiful, Texas     
• Keep Polk County Beautiful, Inc., Fla.     
• Keep Tupelo Beautiful, Miss.    
• Conserva el Encanto de Mi Isla Preciosa, San Juan, Puerto Rico

About Waste Management

Waste Management, based in Houston, Texas, is the leading provider of comprehensive environmental and waste management services in North America. Our subsidiaries provide collection, transfer, recycling and resource recovery, and disposal services. We are also a leading developer, operator and owner of waste-to-energy and landfill gas-to-energy facilities in the United States. Our customers include residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers throughout North America.  To learn more visit www.wm.com or www.thinkgreen.com.

About Keep America Beautiful, Inc.

Keep America Beautiful, Inc., established in 1953, is the nation's largest volunteer-based community action and education organization. This national nonprofit forms public-private partnerships and programs that engage individuals to take greater responsibility for improving their community environments. For additional information, visit www.kab.org.

CONTACT: Robert Wallace, +1-203-659-3016, [email protected], or Larry Kaufman, +1-203-659-3014, [email protected], both of Keep America Beautiful, Inc.

SOURCE Keep America Beautiful, Inc.