Waste Management of Illinois and Garick announce compost marketing agreement

Garick to distribute material in Illinois, Indiana and Southern Wisconsin

Chicago, Ill., Dec. 10, 2012 -- Waste Management of Illinois, Inc. and Garick LLC today announced they have reached a multi-year agreement under which Garick will market compost created at two Waste Management facilities for distribution in Illinois, Indiana and Southern Wisconsin.

The agreement covers Garick’s distribution of compost from Waste Management’s Willow Ranch site in Romeoville, Ill. and its Harbor View facility on Chicago’s Southeast Side.

Waste Management is the leading generator of compost from yard trimmings and food residuals in Illinois.  Garick, a Cleveland-based company majority owned by Waste Management, is a manufacturer, marketer and distributor of organic natural resource products.

Garick will market the compost and compost blends to landscapers, soil blenders, garden centers, nurseries, turf grass professionals, and urban and rural farmers.  It will be available in packaged and bulk quantities and sold under the Organic Valley® and Nature’s Helper® brand names.

“The Willow Ranch and Harbor View facilities produce high-quality compost that is a blend of clean yard trimmings and food residuals,” said Robert Schanz, Garick’s vice president of operations.  “This compost, because of the good residual product from which it is made and the finishing process, yields compost that is high in organic matter and micronutrients and low in soluble salts.”

High-quality compost improves soil structure and porosity, increases moisture infiltration and permeability, supplies organic matter, aids in the proliferation of soil microbes, encourages vigorous root growth, improves cation exchange capacity, contains humus, and buffers pH, Schanz said.

“Waste Management has substantially expanded its capacity to manage yard wastes and organics, and we now operate the largest network of compost facilities in northern Illinois,” said Dale Hoekstra, director of operations in the Company’s Illinois-Missouri Valley Area.  "Our agreement with Garick supports our goal is to extract as much value as we can from the materials we manage.  Our composting operations enhance this value by creating a high-quality product that now will be marketed to a broader range of end users in the landscape industry.”

The agreement combines Waste Management’s expertise in collecting and managing organic materials and Garick’s knowledge and resources in marketing compost, Hoekstra said.  The capability responds to the Company's commercial, industrial and municipal customers who increasingly wish to divert organics wastes from landfills, achieve sustainability goals, recycle, and reduce disposal costs.

Waste Management collects yard trimmings from local municipalities and food residuals from grocery chains, food manufacturers, hotels, restaurants, commercial properties and schools.  

More than 30 percent of the nation’s waste stream is comprised of organic material, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  Of this, approximately 14 percent is food scrap, 13 percent is yard trimmings and 6 percent wood fiber.  Waste Management composted more than 2.5 million tons of organic material at Company and partner facilities in 2011.

About Waste Management

Waste Management, based in Houston, Texas, is the leading provider of comprehensive waste management services in North America. Our subsidiaries provide collection, transfer, recycling and resource recovery, and disposal services. We are the largest residential recycler and also a leading developer, operator and owner of waste-to-energy and landfill-gas-to-energy facilities in the United States. Our customers include residential, commercial, industrial and municipal customers throughout North America. To learn more visit www.wm.com or www.thinkgreen.com.

About Garick

Garick, LLC, a North American distributor, processor and recycler of sustainable natural resource products, prides itself on its commitment to sustainability and environmental practices. Using food, yard and forest products residuals, Garick diverts and beneficially reuses organic waste streams and creates organic mulches, soils, and other sustainable products, supplying customers with a complete range of products in bags, bales or bulk. Garick's six facilities make nationally branded products including Black Satin® Mulch, Organic Valley® soil, Designated Dryer® sports turf conditioner, HydRocks® soil enhancer, Rooflite® certified green roof media, Kids Karpet® recreational surfacing, Moo-Nure® organic compost and Nature's Helper® soil conditioner. To learn more visit www.garick.com.

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