Waste Management and Publix team up to Compost in South Florida

Garbage titan Waste Management  (WM) is teaming up with grocery store titan Publix to compost Publix's waste at a facility in Okeechobee County next to Waste Management's humongous landfill.

Waste Management's critics who regulary state that WM is only interested in landfilling and burning waste must be stunned by the announcement.  After all, doesn't WM need to maximize it's other assets so that it can maintain stock price and insure large bonuses for executives?  Has the world been flipped on its head?

Not exactly.

Publix has been seeking a partner for composting of its waste for sometime.  They struck a deal with a Pompano Beach company in 2008.  It failed.  This was a huge threat to WM.  WM controls all privately owned disposal sites in Florida south of Saint Cloud.  Publix is South Florida's largest employer.  It's stores are everywhere.  Thus, diversion of this waste would have a significant impact on stock price and bonuses.

So, here comes the partnership.  What a great example Publix has set. This shows how purchasing decisions can change the world and how a corporation can make a difference in a community by demanding something better. As far as WM, there is never a wrong reason to do the right thing.

Good luck to Waste Management and Publix.  Here's the press release.

Learn more about home backyard composting here.