HOUSTON, Feb. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- WM Healthcare Solutions', a subsidiary of Waste Management (NYSE: WM), extensive mail-back sharps product line is now approved by the California Department of Public Health for sale and use in the state of California.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090402/NY93570LOGO-b)

Since September 2008, disposing of home-generated sharps in the trash has been illegal in California. Communities and medical waste disposal providers have worked to develop a safe and cost-effective way to divert this waste.

Waste Management has developed a number of solutions in response to the needs of communities both in California and nationwide. Service offerings include a special container that allows customers or businesses to package and dispose of used medical sharps then ship them using a United States Postal Service-approved box. Now individuals with diabetes and other conditions that require self-injections have a tamper-resistant and convenient container to safely return their used syringes and lancets.

"Every day, millions of people across the country self-inject their medications. But they don't always dispose of used sharps, syringes and lancets properly, and they may end up in the environment where they can put others at risk of injury or infection," said Ron Pierce, president of WM Healthcare Solutions. "Waste Management is enthusiastic to provide this service to its communities throughout California, and we have already had groundbreaking participation in the cities that have piloted the project since its approval by the Department of Public Health."

WM Healthcare Solutions' MedWaste Tracker(SM) Safe Solutions for Sharps are available to communities, businesses and individuals. To participate in the program, or to find out how to develop a comprehensive solution for your community, contact your Waste Management representative, call 1-866-931-6321 or visit www.thinkgreenfromhome.com.

About Waste Management and WM Healthcare Solutions

Waste Management, Inc., based in Houston, Texas, is the leading provider of comprehensive waste management services in North America. Through its subsidiaries, the company provides collection, transfer, recycling and resource recovery, and disposal services. It is also a leading developer, operator and owner of waste-to-energy and landfill gas-to-energy facilities in the United States. The company's customers include residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers throughout North America. To learn more information about Waste Management visit www.wm.com or www.thinkgreen.com.

WM Healthcare Solutions, Inc. (WMHS) is a subsidiary of Waste Management, Inc. that provides a complete range of sustainable and cost-effective managed waste and environmental solutions specifically designed for the healthcare industry. WMHS aims to be the single source provider of operational and consulting services required to handle the healthcare industry's complex waste streams from compliance, safety, and risk assessment to in-house operational logistics, market assessment, and collection and processing for a variety of waste streams. To learn more information about WM Healthcare Solutions, visit www.healthcare.wm.com.

    Contact:
    Carrie Griffiths
    (603) 929-3350
    cgriffiths@wm.com

SOURCE Waste Management