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Recycling and Waste Reduction Efforts throughout Wisconsin Honored

Elkhart Lake, WI (March 8, 2017) – The Associated Recyclers of Wisconsin (AROW) proudly held their annual awards ceremony last week at the 2017 Wisconsin Integrated Resource Management Conference (www.wirmc.org) in Elkhart Lake, at The Osthoff Resort. The ceremony, held on March 2nd, recognized individuals and groups for outstanding work in the field of recycling and waste reduction.

This year AROW added two new categories and presented a total of four awards and one certificate of recognition.

“As the voice for recycling and waste reduction in Wisconsin, AROW always looks forward to honoring the achievements of those working hard in our industry. This year we are incredibly pleased to also recognize the efforts of our next generation, the Emerging Leaders.” said Meleesa Johnson, AROW’s President. “This year’s recipients clearly demonstrate the power of education at all levels. From students in elementary school to those in our universities, along with their excellent teachers and mentors, together we all learn from each other to make a difference in our industry. It’s important to thank and honor these important individuals and groups.”

The recipient of the prestigious Christy Dixon Recycler of the Year Award was Rick Meyers, Sanitation Services Manager for the City of Milwaukee. This recognition is given to an individual whose career demonstrates the highest professional standards. Rick has spent all of his career on waste reduction and recycling efforts. Starting in 1999 Rick began his career at Kirkwood Community College as an “area resource specialist” working to find options for disposal of industrial wastes and also building waste diversion plans for businesses. Eighteen years later Rick now serves as the city of Milwaukee’s sanitation service manager, coordinating not only the state’s largest recycling program, but also overseeing the launch of the city’s organics collection and composting program.

Ms. Johnson further stated, “Rick and his staff work to provide a broad recycling and waste reduction education and outreach program to the most culturally and economically diverse city in Wisconsin…a challenge that Rick and his staff embraces with thoughtfulness and creativity.”

For those of us that have been lucky enough to work on projects with Rick we have learned that staying the course with advocacy, even when frustrating political winds are smashing against you and toppling roadblocks at your feet, doesn’t necessarily mean upping caustic rhetoric. We learned that being assertive doesn’t have to mean being untenably aggressive. We learned that even when it appears the battle is lost, the war is not over. We learned that Rick Meyers is the kind of person for whom the Christy Dixon award was made.”

The Outstanding Achievement in Recycling Award is awarded to an individual or group that has excelled in their recycling program. This award was given to the Sparta High School Earth Club for their Food Waste Diversion Initiative.