2012 Sustainability Report - Executive Summary - Waste Management

Partnering with
Communities
Our transformation from a company focused on safely disposing of
wastes to a company focused on repurposing discarded resources has been
shaped in profound ways by the communities in which we operate.
Through one-on-one conversations, small and larger meetings with those living around
our operations, polling, surveys, and participation in more structured dialogues as part
of multi-stakeholder groups, communities over the years have told us:
Focus less on developing and
expanding landfills, and more on
alternatives to landfilling.
Use your size and the skills of your
staff to find better technologies
to reduce emissions and environmental
impacts from handling waste.
Extract greater benefits
from the wastes you handle
– in the form of recycling and
generating renewable energy.
Commit to making your properties
a community resource and places
where native habitat is preserved.
These perspectives are reflected in our sustainability goals, and we give credit to the
visions of these host communities, which have helped point us to what we believe is a
more sustainable business strategy. We’ve learned from what we’ve heard, and we
appreciate the dialogue.
22 waste management // sustainability report 2012