WM Continues Sustainability Efforts with New Microhabitat in Florida

WM, a leading provider of comprehensive environmental solutions, collaborated alongside high school students from Pembroke Pines Charter High School to establish a vibrant microhabitat at its new WM Recycling South Florida facility in Pembroke Pines, Fla. This is the fifth microhabitat WM and Tandem Global, a leading non-profit focused on private sector action for nature, have planted together since 2023. 

High school students from Pembroke Pines Charter High School tour the new state-of-the-art WM Recycling South Florida facility in Pembroke Pines.

In a collaborative effort, WM, Tandem Global and local students planted nearly 750 native trees, shrubs, wildflowers and grasses in a 2,000-square-foot area at WM Recycling South Florida. The resulting microhabitat is expected to help create a biodiverse ecosystem, providing a habitat for local wildlife and supporting the region’s natural biodiversity. This initiative aligns with WM’s commitment to helping communities thrive through environmental stewardship and community engagement and development.  

“WM was pleased to collaborate with Tandem Global and 40 environmental science students from Pembroke Pines Charter High School to plant this microhabitat at our new recycling facility,” said Dawn McCormick, Director of Communications, WM Florida Area. “The students brought tremendous energy and enthusiasm to the project, and it was a wonderful learning opportunity for them.”  

Gregory Scala, Craig Ash Enviornmental Protection Manager at WM, Yoma Okotogpo

Microhabitats have the potential to play a vital role in mitigating the impacts of biodiversity loss, climate change, the urban heat island effect and rising sea levels. These small, densely planted urban habitats can act as carbon sinks, absorbing and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, microhabitats can provide crucial shade and evaporative cooling in urban areas, combating the urban heat island effect by lowering local temperatures and making cities more habitable. Furthermore, their dense root systems can help stabilize soil and reduce erosion, which is especially important in coastal regions facing rising sea levels, as they can help protect against coastal erosion and provide a natural buffer against storm surges. 

Matthew Mercado, Armand Ayala, Andres Limones Government Affairs Manager at WM, Ca

Chloe Hale, Nicole Martinez, Sarah Perez

Ace Graff

Jeremias Branger and Pedro Di Napoli

“Using native plant stock locally sourced from Florida ecotypes, this microhabitat is a significant opportunity to demonstrate how any landscape, regardless of size or location, can use Tandem Global’s microhabitat approach to provide the co-benefits of biodiversity uplift, carbon sequestration and restoring ecological functionality to corporate landscapes,” said Tandem Global’s Mitchell Robinson. 

The microhabitat initiative aligns with WM’s broader sustainability goals, which include reducing climate impact, increasing recovery of recyclable materials, and positively impacting 10 million people in WM communities through targeted social impact programs by 2030.

By ML Staff. Content/images courtesy of WM.