Waste Management announces progress in Safe Needle Disposal Initiative

2004-02-10
Houston, February 10, 2004 – Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WMI) today announced significant progress regarding the safe disposal of sharps (needles, syringes, lancets). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has improved its guidance of safe needle disposal for at-home sharps users. Until now, the EPA had recommended placing used sharps in a sturdy household container and placing that container in household garbage. New information, currently posted on the EPA website, includes information about drop boxes or supervised collection sites and mail-back programs. Waste Management is already involved in such an effort.

In 2001, Waste Management signed a joint marketing agreement with Sharps Compliance Corp. [OTC BB:SCOM] to introduce safe disposal systems for individuals who use needles or syringes in their home. The Sharps Disposal by Mail system allows home users of sharps to order a disposal box through Waste Management. When the disposal box is full and ready to be emptied, home users can then send it directly by U.S. Mail to a resource recovery facility operated by Sharps Environmental Services of Texas, Inc.

The goal of Waste Management's work on this issue is to encourage proper disposal of sharps, so they are kept out the general waste stream and disposed of only through biohazard and medical waste procedures. It is ultimately up to the home user to follow guidelines and properly dispose of sharps.

"Waste Management's commitment and work on this issue revolves around keeping these hazards out of residential waste and keeping our neighbors, waste collectors and other sanitation workers safe," said A. Maurice Myers, Chairman President and CEO of Waste Management. "Having the EPA's guidance and support on this issue is significant."

In addition to working with Sharps Compliance Corp., Waste Management also supports the Coalition for Safe Community Needle Disposal in their efforts to create public awareness and behavior change related to sharps disposal. The Coalition was created in 2002, resulting out of a need to focus on the growing public health threat posed by needles, lancets and other sharps in the general waste stream.

New EPA brochures detailing guidelines and information for safe needle disposal are expected Fall 2004.

Waste Management, Inc. is the nation's leader provider of comprehensive waste management services. Based in Houston, the company serves municipal, commercial, industrial and residential customers throughout North America.

Certain statements contained in this press release include statements that are "forward-looking statements." Outlined below are some of the risks that the Company faces and that could affect our financial statements for 2004 and beyond and that could cause actual results to be materially different from those that may be set forth in forward-looking statements made by the Company. However, they are not the only risks that the Company faces. There may be additional risks that we do not presently know or that we currently believe are immaterial which could also impair our business. We caution you not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. In addition, the Company, from time to time, provides estimates of financial and other data relating to future periods. Such estimates and other information are the Company's expectations at the point in time of issuance but may change at some future point in time. By issuing such estimates the Company has no obligation, and is not undertaking any obligation, to update such estimates or provide any other information relating to such estimates.

* possible changes in our estimates of site remediation requirements, final capping, closure and post-closure obligations, compliance and regulatory developments;
* the possible impact of regulations on our business, including the cost to comply with regulatory requirements and the potential liabilities associated with disposal operations, as well as our ability to obtain and maintain permits needed to operate our facilities;
* the effect of limitations or bans on disposal or transportation of out-of-state waste or certain categories of waste;
* possible charges against earnings as a result of shut-down operations, development or expansion projects, uncompleted acquisitions or other events;
* the effects that trends toward requiring recycling, waste reduction at the source and prohibiting the disposal of certain types of wastes could have on volumes of waste going to landfills and waste-to-energy facilities;
* the effect the weather has on our quarter to quarter results, as well as the effect of extremely harsh weather on our operations;
* the effect that price fluctuations on commodity prices may have on our operating revenues;
* the outcome of litigation or threatened litigation;
* the effect competition in our industry could have on our profitability;
* possible diversions of management's attention and increases in operating expenses due to efforts by labor unions to organize our employees;
* possible increases in operating expenses due to fuel price increases or fuel supply shortages;
* the effects of general economic conditions, including the ability of insurers to fully or timely meet their contractual commitments and of surety companies to continue to issue surety bonds;
* the need for additional capital if cash flows are less than we expect or capital expenditures are more than we expect, and the possibility that we cannot obtain additional capital on acceptable terms if needed;
* possible errors or problems upon implementation of new information technology systems; and
* possible fluctuations in quarterly results of operations or adverse impacts on our results of operations as a result of the adoption of new accounting standards or interpretations.

Additional information regarding these and/or other factors that could materially affect results and the accuracy of the forward-looking statements contained herein may be found in Part I, Item 1 of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2002, and in Item 2 of the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2003.