This summer, Waste Management’s new Clean Cart Challenge Prize Patrol will be in local neighborhoods rewarding top-notch recyclers for their green habits. If the Prize Patrol finds a customer’s recycling cart or container contains only acceptable recyclable materials they’ll win a gift card valued up to $150.

The challenge is designed to insert some fun into recycling and re-energize customers to take a second look in their garbage bins – it’s likely that they’ll find items that can be recycled instead of thrown away. In fact, over half of garbage collected in King County is still composed of recyclable or compostable material. This means local residents and businesses still have an opportunity to recycle more!

“We encourage customers to prepare for the Clean Cart Challenge by downloading recycling guidelines from our Web site at www.wmnorthwest.com/cleancartchallenge,” said Katie Salinas, public sector manager for Waste Management. “Review these guidelines to learn about all of the materials you can place in the recycling and then take a good look at your garbage; you may be surprised at how many items you can shift to your recycling cart.”

“The City of Auburn is happy to support Waste Management South Sound on this recycling outreach program. Our residents, multifamily and business customers already have a high participation rate in our recycling program, so we hope this challenge will help them increase their waste diversion and further educate them on waste prevention methods”, said Kathleen Edman, solid waste customer care specialist for the City of Auburn. “It’s good to periodically review what goes in and what stays out of the recycle stream since guidelines change.”

Waste Management also is looking for Auburn’s greenest residents and businesses to share their recycling and waste reduction tips on the Clean Cart Challenge webpage. Please send an e-mail, photos or video depicting the “green” in your life to recyclenw@wm.com.

The Clean Cart Challenge will run all summer long in Kirkland, Redmond, Bothell, Federal Way, Auburn, Marysville, Burien and unincorporated areas of King and Snohomish County that are serviced by Waste Management. You must be a Waste Management customer and live or operate your business in participating communities to be eligible to win.

All Waste Management customers are eligible to win:

• Curbside Residents: Win a gift card valued at $50—delivered on the spot or by mail.

• Apartments and condos: Win a $5 coffee card (1 card per residence).

• Businesses: Win $150 cash to use toward employee rewards for a recycling job well done.

For more information, visit www.wmnorthwest.com/cleancartchallenge.html.