WM helped the Hamilton Education Foundation fund a Recycle Home Composter project, an initiative where high school students expect to help divert approximately 2,100 pounds of food waste and prevent approximately 7,800 pounds of methane emissions.
Focus Areas Archives
WM Recycling South Florida Microhabitat Planting Program
More than 40 environmental science students from Pembroke Pines Charter High School helped plant a 2,000 square foot area and toured our soon-to-be-opened recycling facility to gain a broad understanding of the varying pathways green collar roles can lead down.
Central Texas Floods Disaster Relief
When devastating floods hit Central Texas in 2025, WM committed $1 million in charitable contributions to six nonprofit organizations — including the San Antonio Food Bank, Feeding America, TEXSAR and the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country — positively impacting approximately 400,000 people. Our employees also stepped up, collecting nearly 500 items through donation … Continued
Valdosta Microhabitat Planting Program
90 seventh graders supported a microhabitat planting in Valdosta, engaging in hands-on learning about the environmental benefits of trees while helping to address flood impacts from Hurricane Helene.
Composting Education for Second Grade Students
WM assisted Salinas Valley Recycles in delivering composting training to second graders from Elkhorn Elementary School, helping students play an early and essential role in protecting their environment.
Hands-On Learning and Conservation Activities
WM’s Southern Services team used wildlife habitat as a living science lab for students from Tennessee’s Battle Ground Academy, pairing hands-on wetland education with a conservation service activity led alongside Harpeth Conservancy.
Watershed Science Education with Friends of the Chicago River
WM supported Friends of the Chicago River schools network connecting nearly 3,000 students to watershed science through field trips, classroom presentations, outreach events, and a variety of other education initiatives.
Students Learning the Value of Protected Lands
In Flagstaff, WM teamed up with the local Boys and Girls Club and the National Park Service to deliver the Ultimate Journey program, bringing 650 fourth through eighth graders to the Grand Canyon to explore the value of protected lands through place-based learning.
Los Angeles Wildfire Relief Efforts
With a focus on helping neighbors where we live and work, WM teams step up in times of need. Following the devastating wildfires in January 2025, WM quickly mobilized with $1.5 million in charitable contributions to various organizations on the front lines, including local fire department foundations and the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.
RIT Environmental Science Student Research
Environmental Science students from Rochester Institute of Technology conducted field research across two of WM’s certified wildlife habitat sites, High Acres and Mill Seat Landfill, contributing to research around the role managed lands play in supporting conservation outcomes.