6.16.2006 - 03:14pm ET

(CSRwire) BENTONVILLE, Ark.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 16, 2006--The Wal-Mart Foundation today announced the expansion of the Wal-Mart Kids Recycling Challenge, a private/public partnership between Wal-Mart and elementary schools that helps students earn money for their schools by recycling plastic shopping and grocery bags.

The Kids Recycling Challenge program debuted in February 2005 in Sacramento, Palm Springs, and Salt Lake City, and expanded across the entire state of California earlier this year.

Beginning in September, 2006, the program will reach 11 western states -- Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming -- plus Wal-Mart's home state of Arkansas.

How the Kids Recycling Challenge works

After joining the program, schools receive collection bins and a supply of 60-gallon collection bags from Wal-Mart. Students are then encouraged to bring plastic retail and grocery bags to their schools for recycling from September 1, 2006 to March 30, 2007. For each collection bag the school fills with plastic bags and brings to a local Wal-Mart store, Wal-Mart will donate $5.00 cash to the school.

Participating schools are grouped into 26 geographic regions. The three schools in each region that bring in the most collection bags by the end of the program will receive additional cash grants from Wal-Mart in the amounts of $3,000 for first place, $2,000 for second, and $1,000 for third. The schools that finish in fourth through tenth places in each region will earn additional bonuses of $250 apiece.

Additionally, the top school in each region will be rewarded with an entertaining school-wide assembly performance focusing on the environment, courtesy of Wal-Mart.

A history of success

The Kids Recycling Challenge is the most successful plastic bag recycling program of its kind. More than 900 schools have enrolled in the program since its inception, and have recycled over 350 tons of plastic bags, earning more than $327,000 from the Wal-Mart Foundation to date.

"Environmental stewardship is everybody's responsibility, whether you are a public company or a private citizen," said Margo Reid Brown, Chair of the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB), the State's leading authority on recycling and waste reduction. "The Wal-Mart Foundation and our hard-working elementary schoolchildren shared invaluable life lessons on the benefits of recycling and should be congratulated for every ton of plastic they have prevented from ending up in landfills or as litter. Their environmental leadership should serve as an inspiration to all Californians."

"The Wal-Mart Kids Recycling Challenge teaches children how to become responsible stewards of their environment by limiting waste items that can be recycled from our landfills," said Nicole Anderson of the Wal-Mart Foundation. "The program offers enormous potential, and we hope to reach more than one million students by bringing the Challenge to new areas."

How schools can join the Kids Recycling Challenge

Participation in the Kids Recycling Challenge is limited to elementary schools located in the states listed above. Intermediate and high schools are not eligible at this time. Eligible schools that are interested in joining the program should visit www.kidsrecyclingchallenge.com to learn more and to enroll.

There is no cost to join or to participate in the Kids Recycling Challenge.

About Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., operates Wal-Mart Stores, Supercenters, Neighborhood Markets and SAM'S CLUB locations in the United States. The company also operates in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Japan, Mexico, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, South Korea and the United Kingdom. The company's securities are listed on the New York stock and NYSE Arca exchanges under the symbol WMT. More information about Wal-Mart can be found by visiting www.walmartfacts.com. More information about the Wal-Mart Foundation and Wal-Mart Corporate Giving can be found at www.walmartfoundation.org.


Copyright Business Wire 2006

For more information please contact: