This summer, Waste Management’s new Clean Cart Challenge Prize Patrol will be in local neighborhoods, including Redmond, checking out recycling carts and rewarding top-notch recyclers with gift cards.

All Waste Management customers in Redmond, unincorporated King County, Kirkland, Bothell, Auburn, Burien, Federal Way, Marysville and unincorporated Snohomish County are eligible to win.

Residential customers can win a gift card valued at $50, delivered on the spot or by mail.

Apartments and condos can win a $5 coffee card (one residential card per residential unit).

Businesses can win $150 cash to use toward employee rewards for a recycling job well done.

The Clean Cart Challenge is designed to insert some fun into recycling and re-energize customers to take a second look in their garbage bins. It’s likely they’ll find items that can be recycled instead of thrown away.

In fact, over half of garbage collected in King County is composed of recyclable or compostable material.

“We encourage customers to prepare for the Clean Cart Challenge by downloading recycling guidelines from our Web site at www.wmnorthwest.com/cleancartchallenge,” said Katie Salinas, public sector manager for Waste Management.

“Review these guidelines to learn about all of the materials you can place in the recycling and then take a good look at the garbage. You may be surprised to see what you can shift to the recycling,” said Salinas.

Stacey Auer, the City of Redmond’s recycling program administrator noted, “Our citizens do a great job of recycling and this program will provide an incentive to recycle even more.”

Waste Management is also looking for Redmond’s greenest residents and businesses to share their recycling and waste reduction tips on their Web page. Send an e-mail, photos or video depicting the “green” in your life to recyclenw@wm.com.

To learn more about the Clean Cart Challenge, visit www.wmnorthwest.com/cleancartchallenge.

Customers who wish to opt out of the program may e-mail Waste Management at recyclenw@wm.com.