Waste Management, Inc. is donating 10 solar powered waste and recycling compactors for the upcoming BMW Charity Pro-Am golf tournament it was announced recently.

These state-of-the-art solar powered compactors will be placed in high traffic areas to help the tournament more efficiently manage the waste and recyclables generated by spectators. About the same size of a standard 35-gallon waste receptacle, each compactor provides five times the capacity of the traditional model. When the unit reaches capacity, sensors trigger an internal solar powered compactor that flattens the contents, converting 180 gallons of waste into easy-to-collect bags. The units can also be equipped with a wireless system which signals that the unit is ready to be picked up.

The compactors have been successfully installed in many cities and venues around the country. They cut the need for waste pickup by up to 80 percent, thereby reducing collection costs, fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions used during collections. The compactors also include receptacles for collecting recyclables such as plastic bottles and aluminum cans.

BMW Manufacturing Co. gained international recognition in 2002 when the automotive manufacturer first announced that it would use recycled landfill methane gas as an energy source in its automotive manufacturing facility. Today, 63 percent of BMW Manufacturings energy is provided by this renewable resource, Hitt said.

The 2010 BMW Charity Pro-Am will be played May 13 through 16 at Brights Creek Golf Club, The Carolina Country Club and Thornblade Club golf courses. All four rounds will be televised live by the Golf Channel.

The BMW Charity Pro-Am is the only tournament on the PGA TOURs Nationwide Tour where amateurs and celebrities are grouped with Nationwide Tour professionals in a four-day better-ball competition over three courses. Amateurs, celebrities and pros rotate between three courses on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with the 14 lowest scoring pro-amateur/pro-celebrity teams advancing to play Sundays final round at Thornblade Club.

Celebrities play once at each course on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The professional winner of the overall 72-hole event will take home $108,000 from the total purse of $600,000. Amateurs and celebrities will compete for individual prizes and cash donations to the charity of their choice out of the beneficiaries selected by South Carolina Charities, Inc.

The first nine tournaments have raised nearly $7.3 million for 125+ area charities. The charities selected to benefit from the 2010 tournament are listed online at www.bmwcharitygolf.com.

For more information about the 10th annual BMW Charity Pro-Am, sponsorship opportunities, amateur playing spots or volunteer opportunities, call 864-297-1660. You can also learn more about the tournament online at www.bmwcharitygolf.com or by following the tournament on Facebook.