Waste Management - Keeping Hawaii Clean

Landfill Operator Encourages the Big Island to “Waste Not, Want Not”

Waikoloa, Hawaii, March 12, 2008 – Waste Management of Hawaii will donate $10,000 to The Food Basket, Inc., the local food bank on the Big Island, to help fund its spring food drive, “Waste Not, Want Not.”

This Sunday, March 16, 45,000 paper bags will be inserted into copies of West Hawaii Today, Hawaii Tribune Herald and North Hawaii News as part of the drive, in partnership with Waste Management of Hawaii. The community is encouraged to kokua and help its neighbors in need.

Big Island residents are encouraged to help The Food Basket reach its goal to raise $40,000 and collect 50,000 pounds of food which will be distributed to The Food Basket’s more than 100 partner organizations that serve more than 6,000 people who are food insecure across the island.

“We receive 12,000 to 14,000 requests for aid every month and Waste Management’s donation helps us to coordinate one of our largest food drives of the year,” said Barry Taniguchi, chairman of the board for The Food Basket. “We are excited to once again partner with such a great organization and appreciate their commitment to our local community.”

“Organizations like The Food Basket play such an important role in the well-being of the Big Island community and we are always happy to help,” said Joe Whelan, acting general manager of Waste Management of Hawaii. “This partnership also helps to ‘Keep Hawaii Clean’ and prevent the waste of edible food, that would otherwise end up in the landfill.”

The Food Basket, Inc. is a clearinghouse for food and non-food items that retailers, wholesalers and farmers would normally discard, and for food donated by the community through food drives. The Food Basket operates two warehouses, one in East Hawaii and one in West Hawaii, and works with more than 100 non-profit partner agencies across the island.

Waste Management of Hawaii operates Waimanalo Gulch, West Hawaii and Kekaha Landfills as an integral part of each county’s solid waste management infrastructure. The facilities handle municipal solid waste, which is heavily regulated, monitored and controlled by local, state and federal government agencies. In addition to its community contributions and significant volunteer efforts, Waste Management of Hawaii provides a benefit to the local economy of more than $2.9 million annually. For more information of how we “think green,” visit www.keepinghawaiiclean.com.

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