Shanks Group PLC (SKS.LN), the waste management group, Monday announced that it has won the first major European waste management contract to be awarded by Unilever, the household products groups.

MAIN FACTS:

-Under the contract, Shanks will manage all of Unilever's waste across Belgium and the Netherlands.

-Shanks will recycle up to 90% of the contract waste helping the company to achieve its 2020 target of maintaining or reducing total waste sent for disposal against a 2008 baseline, despite significantly growing manufacturing volumes.

-Shares closed Friday at GBP1.19 valuing the company at GBP472.25 million.

-By Jana Weigand, Dow Jones Newswires; 44-20-7842-9314; jana.weigand@dowjones.com