Plover, WI – April 20, 2009   The Associated Recyclers of Wisconsin (AROW), a nonprofit association that provides statewide proactive leadership on waste reduction and recycling, announced the winners of their 2009 recycling awards recently during a luncheon at their annual conference held in Wisconsin Dells.  Awards were given to businesses or individuals who have achieved excellence in waste reduction and recycling.

The Christy Dixon Recycler of the Year is awarded to an individual whose career demonstrates the highest professional standards in the recycling field.  AROW Board Member Toral Jha presented the award to Cynthia Moore, Recycling Program Coordinator of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.  Throughout her tenure with the DNR, Cynthia has been an early advocate of product stewardship and electronics recycling in Wisconsin. She has worked tirelessly on behalf of the state and in collaboration with other Midwestern states, stakeholders and partners, with the goal of regional solutions.  Cynthia's other notable achievements include the 2002 waste sort, which provided valuable data to guide current recycling initiatives and determine industry priorities. She also served as a key liaison to the Governor's Task Force on Waste Materials Recovery and Disposal.

Quad/Graphics received the Outstanding Achievement in Recycling Award.  AROW President Wess Damro presented the award to Chris Rynish of Quad/Graphics.  Based in Sussex, Wisconsin, Quad/Graphics is the largest privately-held printer of magazines, catalogs and other commercial products in the Western Hemisphere.  They are committed to sustaining the environment through responsible stewardship of resources and achieved a corporate solid waste recycling rate of 97.9% by recycling paper, fluorescent lamps, co-mingled containers, metal, plastic, wood and concrete.  They developed programs to recycle rubber mats, nylon strapping, railroad bags, polystyrene plastic pieces, paint pails, carpet, and construction and demolition debris.  In 2008, their waste-to-energy program turned 109,000 pounds of waste material into electricity.   

The Wisconsin Be SMART Coalition (Save Money And Reduce Trash), received the Outstanding Achievement in Education Award, which was presented by AROW Executive Director, Karin Sieg, to Coalition Chair Karen Fiedler, Waukesha County.  The Coalition, with over 50 municipalities and serving 1.3 million residents in southeast and northeast Wisconsin, provides waste reduction and recycling education programs for municipalities, residents and schools.  In 2008, they launched a new statewide website/campaign, Recycle More Wisconsin.org, the first website that provides community specific recycling information to residents.  The Coalition also began a pilot program, Recycling Assistance to Schools, which provides onsite assistance and information to area schools to establish or improve their recycling programs.

AROW also recognized the following individuals with Lifetime Achievement Awards for their valuable work to support recycling in Wisconsin:  Roger Springman, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP); Bart Sexton, formally with Oneida County Solid Waste Department; and Paul Wiegner, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.