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User-Friendly, Regional Strategy Will Allow People to Recycle More Items 
SPOKANE, Wash. (Aug. 2, 2010) – Waste Management today announced plans to build a $12 million dollar state-of-the-art recycling facility as the centerpiece of a user-friendly, regional strategy that will dramatically reduce waste and boost recycling across the Inland Empire.This new Waste Management facility will allow local residents and businesses to conveniently recycle a broader assortment of materials, resulting in 40 percent more recycling in the region. The recycling center will allow residents to use just one container for all recyclables, including many materials that are not currently accepted for recycling. Residential customers will put all recyclables in one easy-pull cart with wheels and an attached cover. This system is popular throughout the country because it is user-friendly and has proven to significantly increase participation in recycling. “It’s time for a progressive, user-friendly recycling system that will allow citizens, businesses and local governments to work together to achieve world class leadership in sustainability,” said Dean Kattler, area vice president for Waste Management of the Pacific Northwest. “Across the country, our customers have embraced convenient and expanded recycling programs. The results are dramatic increases in recycling and reductions in waste. Kattler said the success of recycling programs in the Inland Empire has been hindered by the lack of an all-in-one recycling strategy and a state-of-the-art recycling center equipped to sort a full spectrum of recyclables. Based on input from citizens and community leaders, Kattler said there is a pressing need for a regional program that makes it easy for residents and businesses to put all recyclables in one large container and be assured that all materials will be sorted and recycled. “We think people throughout the Inland Empire expect more from their recycling program,” Kattler said. “We need a user-friendly recycling program that accepts and processes all recyclables, not just the few select items that are currently recycled.” The new Waste Management facility will process and market all recyclables, including items not currently accepted for recycling, such as more plastic containers, including tubs and clam shells, milk cartons and juice boxes, all paper products, including cereal and beverage boxes, glass bottles and jars, tin and aluminum cans, small scrap metal, including old pots and pans, foil and pie tins. The new recycling facility will create 50 new construction jobs and 25 permanent jobs. It is also expected to inject more than $46 million into the local economy over the first five years of the project, according to an independent economic impact study by the Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado. To see the study results, go to WM Recycle America/City of Spokane MRF. Nationwide, Waste Management owns and operates 29 all-in-one recycling facilities, which are often called single stream MRFs (material recovery facilities). To see how this innovative recycling process works, watch this four-minute video, What Happens to My Recyclables? About Waste Management Waste Management Is the leading provider of environmental services, recycling and renewable energy in North America. The company serves 20 million residential, commercial, industrial and municipal customers throughout North America. In eastern Washington and northern Idaho, Waste Management provides recycling service to 55,000 households in Spokane Valley, Millwood, Liberty Lake, Deer Park, portions of unincorporated Spokane County, Coeur d’Alene and Sandpoint. The company christened an $8 million, Gold LEED-certified operations center in Spokane Valley in 2009, and is now initiating an expanded and innovative recycling program for residential and commercial customers in Coeur d’Alene. Waste Management employs approximately 150 people in eastern Washington and northern Idaho. For more information, go to www.thinkgreen.com or www.wmnorthwest.com. Editor’s Note For b-roll showing how the all-in-one recycling process works at existing Waste Management facilities, contact Jackie Lang at jjlang@wm.com or 503-705-0007. Waste Management Ken Gimpel (509) 435-6961 Jackie Lang (503) 705-0007 www.ThinkGreen.com Print This Page | Close Window |