Waste Management Inc. along with Keep America Beautiful (KAB) is awarding eight ThinkGreen grants of $10,000 each to eight KAB community-based affiliates.

The merit-based grants from the Houston-based Waste Management are aimed at encouraging environmental solutions that Stamford, Conn.-based KAB affiliates implement locally, such as recycling and waste diversion education programs, according to a news release.

The recipients of the ThinkGreen Grants are Keep Charleston Beautiful, Charleston, S.C.; Keep Clinton Beautiful, Clinton, Miss.; Keep Detroit Beautiful, Detroit; Keep Durham Beautiful, Durham, N.C.; Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful, Reno, Nev.; Keep Virginia Beautiful, Richmond, Va.; Metro Beautification & Environment Commission, Nashville, Tenn.; and OKC Beautiful, Oklahoma City.

Waste Management has supported KAB programs for several years and is involved in KAB’s flagship programs such as the Great American Cleanup and America Recycles Day. Waste Management also supports the KAB/Ad Council public service advertising campaign – I Want To Be Recycled – that helps educate people about recycling.

“Our longstanding partnership with Waste Management has been a critical component of KAB’s effort to bring people together to transform public places into beautiful spaces,” said Jennifer Jehn, president and CEO of Keep America Beautiful. “The Waste Management Think Green Grants program is another instrument to help communities become more socially connected, environmentally healthy and economically sound.”

Added Barry Caldwell, Waste Management senior vice president, public affairs and communications, “Supporting communities by helping make them cleaner thereby improving quality of life for residents is what our company, and Keep America Beautiful, is all about. The Think Green Grants provide us with a great avenue to demonstrate how Waste Management and KAB think green every day.”