WM Healthcare Solutions, a subsidiary of Waste Management, has received approval from the California Department of Public Health to sell mail-back sharps products in the state. Since September 2008, it has been illegal for California households to place sharps in the trash.

"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, in a press release. "Waste Management is enthusiastic to provide this service to its communities throughout California." For more information on the mail-back sharps product line, visit www.thinkgreenfromhome.com.

In other Waste Management news, S4 Energy Solutions LLC, a joint venture between the firm and InEnTec, has announced plans to develop a plasma gasification facility at the Columbia Ridge Landfill in Arlington, Ore. Waste Management owns the landfill.

The facility will convert waste materials into a synthetic gas that can then be converted into transportation fuels such as ethanol and diesel. The gas also can be used as a substitute for natural gas in heating or electricity generation. Construction of the facility is scheduled to begin this summer, and operations are slated to begin by the end of the year.

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