Our Bee Program: Buzzing with Purpose

American Waste Control has quite a “sting operation” going on at American Environmental Landfill.

In partnership with Up With Bees, we’re supporting one of our planet’s most important natural resources—pollinators.

Honeybees pollinate one in every three bites of the food we eat and 80% of all flowering plants, yet their populations are declining at alarming rates.

By hosting hives at our waste-to-energy landfill, we’re creating a safe, sustainable habitat for bees while raising awareness about their essential role in our ecosystem.

Landfill Honey

The idea took root after our founder, Kenneth Burkett, learned of the bee population crisis. Rather than using herbicides to manage brush growth near power lines on the property, Burkett chose a different path—hand-clearing brush and installing hives to help pollinators thrive. With Up With Bees leading the charge, our apiary supports Oklahoma’s pollinators while also offering hands-on learning opportunities for the community. The honey produced—affectionately called “landfill honey”—is a sweet bonus and a symbol of sustainability in action. “These bees are docile, productive, and essential to local biodiversity,” says Todd Green, Vice-President of Landfill Operations. “They help pollinate plants across the region, and they remind us every day why our commitment to the environment matters.”

“We began noticing fewer pollinators in our local communities—fewer bees, butterflies, and birds,” says Daryn Cowan, founder of Up With Bees. “It was clear something needed to be done. So, we launched Up With Bees, a nonprofit dedicated to restoring foraging areas and raising awareness about pollinator decline. Partnering with Kenny Burkett and the entire AEL/AWC team has allowed us to create larger, healthier spaces where pollinators can thrive. Thanks again to them for helping support biodiversity and advocating for a future where humans and nature coexist—a true hive mind mentality. Join us in making a difference—one hive, one field, and one flower at a time.”

Up With Bees places hives in unexpected places—like ours—to support local food production, enrich urban ecosystems, and spark curiosity about the natural world. Because we need them—and they need us.