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Waste Management Plants Legacy from Airport Welcome Area

Dépèche transmise le 22 avril 2009 par Business Wire

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Parkways Foundation today accepted a donation from Waste Management (NYSE: WMI) of Illinois to add more green space to the City of Chicago in conjunction with Earth Day.

"Parkways Foundation is thankful to Waste Management for their contribution to our Community Garden Grant Program and we appreciate Waste Management's commitment to adding to the greenery of Chicago," said Brenda Palm, Executive Director of Parkways Foundation.

Today’s announcement comes on the heels of Waste Management rolling out a “green” carpet at O’Hare International Airport in honor of an exciting month of activities in Chicago throughout April that began with the International Olympic Committee visit. The carpet was made of Designyl that is 3/8" PVC material and is comprised of 40% recycled content and can be easily recycled. The unique welcoming station was lined with trees and plants provided by Waste Management. This area served as the company’s commitment to support the City of Chicago in its economic and green initiatives.

“Chicago’s commitment to enhance and celebrate the environment is recognized as one of the City’s most important initiatives, and it’s a story we’re proud to tell,” said Steve Batchelor, Market Area Vice President for Waste Management. “We’re delighted to support Mayor Daley’s environmental efforts, and helping to introduce visitors to Chicago with a green welcome is a great way to tell the City’s story.”

Waste Management, which has long worked in the Chicago area, has established a series of environmental sustainability goals. By the year 2020, it expects to double the renewable energy produced by its landfill gas-to-energy facilities and waste-to-energy plants; triple the amount of recyclables it manages to more than 20 million tons a year; improve the fuel efficiency of its collection fleet by 15 percent; and establish 25,000 acres of wildlife habitat at its facilities.

ABOUT PARKWAYS

As the philanthropic partner of the Chicago Park District, Parkways Foundation works to enhance and improve Chicago’s neighborhood parks through capital improvements, funding youth programs and historic preservation. Parkways Foundation identifies projects that will visibly and substantially enrich the lives of families in Chicago, and then seeks private investment to realize these goals. In 2007 Parkways Foundation raised over $2 million to fund projects in Chicago’s neighborhood parks.

ABOUT WASTE MANAGEMENT

Waste Management of Illinois, Inc. is a subsidiary of Waste Management, Inc. Based in Houston, Texas, Waste Management, Inc. is the leading provider of comprehensive 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. For more information, visit www.wm.com.