ECONOMY

WASTE MANAGEMENT SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2014 90ENGAGING WITH COMMUNITIESEducating the PublicAs a provider of environmental solutions, we want to helpeducate consumers and young people about how their personalactions impact their communities. That’s one reason whywe run programs that cover topics such as the proper way torecycle and which materials, if handled incorrectly, can harmthe environment.In 2013, we held environmental education sessions with morethan 200,000 students in grade schools and universities acrossthe United States. One forum featured third-generation oceanexplorer Fabien Cousteau, who spoke with approximately150 middle school students at the 19 th annual WheelabatorSymposium for Environment and Education. With help fromteachers and employees of Wheelabrator Technologies, theyoung teens from 15 middle schools along the East Coast hadidentified environmental issues in their communities and thendedicated months of preparation and service to finding andimplementing solutions. The symposium at which Cousteauspoke offered students the chance to come together to celebratethis series of green community projects.We also use national environmental days of observance, suchas Earth Day and Keep America Beautiful’s America RecyclesDay, to educate the public on ways they can protect theplanet’s natural resources. On Earth Day, Waste Managementteamed with the Houston Air Alliance to provide environmentaleducation to thousands of Houston residents. Attendeeswere invited to play recycling games, take quizzes on wildlifehabitat preservation and earn prizes such as plants that couldbe replanted at home. Meanwhile, more than 125 employeesfrom southern Florida welcomed nearly 1,000 studentsand their families to the fifth annual Earth Day Open House atMonarch Hill Renewable Energy Park. The day featured landfilltours, photo shoots with former Miami Dolphins players, andhands-on activities — all while raising thousands of dollars for11 local elementary schools.In 2013, we launched a new Recycle Often. Recycle Right. SMcommunity education campaign highlighting the importanceof recycling more materials and making sure only recyclablesare placed in recycling bins (see p. 33). This education campaign,which is being reinforced at events across the country,is continuing into 2014 and beyond.