Allied Waste Elects John J. Zillmer Chairman And CEO

Scottsdale, AZ — The Board of Directors of Allied Waste Industries, Inc., a leading waste services company, announced today that it has unanimously elected John J. Zillmer to the positions of Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Mr. Zillmer succeeds Charles H. Cotros, who has served as interim Chairman and CEO of the company since October 2004. Mr. Cotros will support Mr. Zillmer's transition for a period up to June 30, 2005, and thereafter will continue to serve as a member of Allied Waste's Board of Directors.

John J. Zillmer, 49, has distinguished himself in a 30-year career in the managed services industry, most recently at ARAMARK Corporation, a world-leading provider of food, uniform and support services. He served as President of ARAMARK's Food and Support Services Group and Executive Vice President of ARAMARK Corporation until January 2004. As President of the Food and Support Services Group, he was responsible for both domestic and international operations with revenues of $8 billion and 200,000 employees worldwide. During his 18-year career with ARAMARK, Mr. Zillmer held a number of senior management positions, including President of the company's international activities and its Business Services Group.

Under Mr. Zillmer's leadership at ARAMARK, the Food and Support Services Group achieved record sales and profit growth, as well as record account retention rates. He was recognized by the food service industry in 2002 for his leadership, and received the Nation's Restaurant News 2003 Golden Chain Award for his consistent focus on achieving the highest standards of customer satisfaction.

"In naming John Zillmer as Allied Waste's new Chairman and CEO, we have concluded an extensive search for a leader with demonstrated success in a large public company environment," said Mr. Cotros. "John's exceptional track record in his capacity as President of ARAMARK's $8 billion Food and Support Services business makes him the ideal leader to take Allied Waste to the next level."

"We are very pleased that an individual with substantial operational experience in a comparable, services-oriented business will serve as Allied Waste's next leader," said Dennis Hendrix, Lead Director of the Allied Waste Board. "In addition to welcoming John Zillmer aboard, I wish to recognize the capable leadership of Charles Cotros during the transition period. We look forward to Charles's continued contributions as a member of the Board of Directors."

"I'm very excited to join an industry leader such as Allied Waste," said Mr. Zillmer. "Based on my review to date, I believe Allied Waste has in place both the people and the assets that are necessary for success, and I look forward to executing our business plan to create opportunity and value for our shareholders, our employees and our customers."

Mr. Zillmer received an MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School at Northwestern University. He currently is a board member of United Stationers, Inc., where he serves on the Audit and Human Resource Committees. He also has served on the board of Casella Waste Systems, Inc.; with his election as Allied Waste's new leader, Mr. Zillmer has resigned from this position, effective immediately.

About Allied Waste Industries, Inc.
Allied Waste Industries, Inc., a leading waste services company, provides collection, recycling and disposal services to residential, commercial and industrial customers in the United States. As of March 31, 2005, the Company served customers through a network of 315 collection companies, 165 transfer stations, 166 active landfills and 58 recycling facilities in 37 states and Puerto Rico.

Source: Allied Waste Industries, Inc.