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Nov 4, 2025

Innovation in Action: WM Wins Two National Recycling Awards

WM is getting national recognition – twice over. This January, the National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA) will honor WM with not one, but two 2025 Recycling Awards. Both projects tell a story of innovation, teamwork and impact on a national scale.

Game Changer/Sustainability Partnership – WM & Major League Baseball (MLB)

Launched on Earth Day 2024, WM is Major League Baseball’s first Official Sustainability Partner. The multi-year partnership marks a first-of-its-kind collaboration between a professional sports league and an environmental services provider. It's already transforming how America's pastime manages materials and works to minimize environmental impact.

Together, WM and MLB are raising the bar for environmental performance across MLB events, MLB Clubs and in the communities they serve. The partnership helps Clubs and league events identify opportunities to reduce waste, increase recycling and set long-term sustainability goals – supported by WM’s Advisory Services and a shared digital platform for tracking progress.

In 2024, the results spoke for themselves:

  • 20+ tons of recyclables recovered at MLB events 
  • Standardized environmental reporting across the League 
  • Fans nationwide learned how small actions can make a big environmental impact

Now in year two of the partnership, from April through August, MLB and its clubs recovered more than 11,739 tons of materials and fans and teams have contributed to 5,739 tons of recycled items. There are currently 20 Clubs engaged with WM Advisory Services, and there have been 11 MLB events supported. WM has also helped organize more than 250 “Green Team” volunteers to help with recycling at MLB events.

“This partnership exemplifies how sports sponsorship can drive environmental progress and social impact,”  NWRA said in its press release.

Construction & Demolition Recycling Facility of the Year – WM Nashville C&D Recycling Facility  

WM tackled a different kind of challenge in Nashville, one of the fastest-growing cities in the country. The problem? Mountains of construction debris piling up and straining regional landfill capacity.

The solution was bold. WM invested $18 million to build Tennessee’s first automated construction and demolition (C&D) recycling facility, capable of processing 1,200 tons of debris per day.

Opened in 2024, the 52,000-square-foot facility uses state-of-the-art sorting technology including vibratory screens, trommels, air classifiers and magnets to recover metals, wood, aggregates and fines for reuse.

The facility has achieved a lot in less than a year:

  • 100,000+ tons of materials processed 
  • Nearly 50% of materials recovered for reuse 
  • 20 new jobs created 
  • New research funded at Tennessee State University to find alternative uses for hard-to-recycle C&D fines material

The facility is helping Nashville move closer to its zero-waste goals and serves as a model for other growing cities facing similar challenges.

Both projects share the same foundation: WM’s commitment to turning bold ideas into real-world results. WM continues to lead the way toward a future where materials are repurposed, energy is renewable and communities are thriving.