SEATTLE, Oct. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Waste Management and Cedar Grove Organics Recycling have a shared enthusiasm for reducing the waste that goes into landfills. Now these two regional recycling leaders have partnered with Pacific Place in downtown Seattle on a recycling program called Erasing Waste at Pacific Place. The new program will help the shopping center reduce its carbon footprint, reducing total green house gases by 2,300 tons each year. The environmental benefits of this program are equal to taking 500 passenger vehicles off the road each year, producing electricity to power 300 households for one year or saving 265,500 gallons of gasoline.

"Erasing Waste at Pacific Place is one of the most comprehensive recycling programs to be implemented by a major shopping center," said Susan Robinson, Director Public Sector Services, Western Group for Waste Management. "It represents the dynamic, full-scale recycling that Waste Management and Cedar Grove Organics Recycling are bringing to the area."

The program is expected to divert over 1,000 tons of material from the landfill each year by making recycling easy for shoppers and tenant employees. Erasing Waste at Pacific Place has three components: Shopper awareness, employee training and clearly marked containers for collection of recyclables.

"The end result is to recycle everything that can be recycled," said Stephan Banchero with Cedar Grove Organics Recycling. "Cedar Grove Organics, Waste Management, and Pacific Place are working to simplify the recycling process by designating unique colors for each recyclable material collected in public areas, kitchens and stores. The recycling color scheme even applies to the containers in the loading dock. Tenants receive training and bi-lingual signage to help 'Erase Waste' confusion. This program will help allow for the greatest savings for Pacific Place and create a model that can be easily replicated at other large establishments."

In addition, Pacific Place will add recycling collection containers at each of its 50 stores, restaurants and movie theatre. Organic materials will be collected at restaurants, coffee service areas and food stores. Organics include food, food soiled paper and coffee grounds. Plastic bottles and cans will be collected from public areas and stores. Cardboard and paper will be collected at all stores and service areas.

Cedar Grove, as the local organics recycling leader, accepts food scraps, fruit, vegetables, bread, coffee grounds, filters, teabags, kitchen paper towels, uncoated paper takeout containers, pizza delivery boxes, plants, wood pallets, and landscape vegetation and turns this waste into nutrient-rich compost. Cedar Grove also offers loading dock complete cleaning service through Emerald Services. Waste Management collects uncoated and coated fibers, plastics, metals and glass. It also provides turnkey recycling for fluorescent lamps, lighting ballasts, batteries, electrical equipment and electronics through Waste Management's Tracker(TM) recycling solutions.

"Pacific Place and our shoppers are recycling together. It is a truly green shopping experience," said Dennis Zook, Pacific Place General Manager. "Pacific Place is committed to the success of our recycling program. Our determination to reduce waste at Pacific Place reflects the same commitment that has made Seattle famous for its great recycling programs."

Those who want to learn more about residential recycling may go to http://www.cedar-grove.com and http://www.wmnorthwest.com. To learn more about starting a sustainable program like the one at Pacific Place, contact Waste Management at 800-WM-CYCLE or Cedar Grove at 877-764-5748.

ABOUT PACIFIC PLACE

Pacific Place features 50 shops, restaurants and an 11-screen movie theatre at Sixth Avenue and Pine Street in downtown Seattle. Parking beneath Pacific Place is abundant and affordable. For more information, call 206-405-2655 or visit the Web site at http://www.pacificplaceseattle.com.

ABOUT CEDAR GROVE ORGANICS

Cedar Grove Organics is part of a 400-employee, family-owned company with roots in hauling and recycling going back to the 1930's. Cedar Grove and its affiliated companies have pioneered the recycling of industrial and residential wastes, diverting millions of pounds of recoverable materials from landfills and setting the highest quality standards for recycled products in the industry.

ABOUT WASTE MANAGEMENT

As North America's largest recycler and leading provider of comprehensive waste, recycling and environmental services, Waste Management's 50,000 employees are committed to being leaders in environmental stewardship, as well as trusted and valued partners to the communities they service.

Source: Pacific Place; Cedar Grove Organics; Waste Management