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In This Issue Wisconsin Integrated Resource Management (WIRM) Conference - Another Great Event! Public Place Recycling Toolkit ~ Ready for the Season! List Your Community on RecycleMoreWisconsin.org Member Highlights - Genesis Poly Recycling, IROW, Portage County Solid Waste Department International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW) ~ May 2-8, 2010 AROW Program Updates ____________________________ AROW Discussion Groups: The Way to Stay Connected ____________________________ AROW Board of Directors President Wess Damro Brown County Port & Solid Waste 920-492-4950 Vice President Jennifer Semrau Winnebago County Recycling 920-232-1850 Secretary Waukesha County RSW Office 262-896-8317 Treasurer Meleesa Johnson Marathon County Solid Waste 715-345-5970 meleesa.johnson@co.marathon.wi.us Mark Heal Veolia Environmental Services 262-255-6655 Mary Klun Douglas County 715-395-1293 Laura Krist 715-366-4968 Ex Officio Cynthia Moore Wisconsin DNR 608-267-7550 Executive Director Toral Jha T. Jha Consulting, LLC 608-843-7361
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Welcome to the Spring 2010 Edition of the AROW Newsletter! This issue is filled with some exciting updates and news about AROW, some of our members, and the industry. If you have a news story to share with us please send it to programs@arow-online.org or feel free to post it to our Members Only Discussion Group at AROWMembersDiscussion@yahoogroups.com. I would like to also take this opportunity to share a few board updates with you.
Finally, starting May 10 to August 1, Meleesa Johnson will serve as "Acting President," working with the Executive Committee and Executive Director on AROW's day-to-day operational objectives. Meleesa will also remain as Treasurer during this interim period. This short-term change allows Wess Damro to focus on his new position with Genesis Poly Recycling until their table of organization is stabilized this summer. Wess will continue serving as President during this time, but will provide guidance on strategic and long-term objectives. Thank you for your continued interest in AROW and we look forward to a great summer ahead! Please join us in congratulating the recipients of this year's AROW Awards. Christy Dixon Recycler of the Year Award: Please click here to read more about the award recipients and their great achievements. Wisconsin Integrated Resource Management (WIRM) Conference - Another Great Event! The 2010 WI Integrated Resources Management (WIRM) Conference brought together over 300 industry professionals for two days of professional development and networking at the Chula Vista Resort in Wisconsin Dells, WI. The event marked the 10th anniversary of AROW, SWANA and WCSWMA co-hosting a joint winter conference. Conference Highlights Included:
Public Place Recycling Toolkit ~ Ready for the Season!
We are happy to announce the newly relaunched Public Place Recycling Toolkit. List Your Community on RecycleMoreWisconsin.org
If you already have a page on the site we encourage you to check in and make sure all of the information is current. Please send any changes/questions to Angie Lemar. New Communities on RMW as of January 1, 2010:
This section highlights some of the great things AROW members are doing. If you have something you would like highlighted please send a brief announcement to programs@arow-online.org. We will highlight two or three AROW members in each newsletter. Genesis Poly Recycling, Inc. - Wess Damro “Plastic recycling is a growing industry,” said John Schmitz, President of Genesis Poly. “Our mission will add to the mainstream plastics that are being recycled right now and allow our customers to make their businesses greener.” Genesis Poly specializes in recycling plastic materials that have been largely overlooked by mainstream recyclers. As part of phase one announced today, Genesis Poly is accepting triple rinsed pesticide jugs, plastic pails, drums, kegs, totes, mini-bulks, flower pots, landscape pots, drain tile and lawn edging. Genesis Poly works with local governments, co-ops, nurseries and others to develop collection programs that are efficient and convenient to use. These materials can also be dropped off directly at Genesis Poly’s facility in Mankato, MN According to company officials Genesis Poly will be fully operational this summer when phase two comes on line. Phase two will allow the recycling of silage bags, grocery bags and other plastic films. Genesis Poly expects to recycle 60,000,000 pounds of plastic annually. Click here to go to Genesis Poly Recycling's web site. Industrial Recyclers Of Wisconsin (IROW) - Cory Tomczyk Starting out as Industrial Recyclers of Wisconsin in 1990, IROW has been recycling in Wisconsin for 20 years now. Beginning as paper recycler, and still today, IROW has grown to become much more. Now a document and product destruction company certified by the National Association for Information Destruction, IROW is also a full service waste hauler and recycles much more than just paper including many types of plastics.
One of the things that has made IROW successful has been the mindset of reducing customers' waste output even though we may be their waste hauler. IROW does this by conducting waste audits of customers' waste streams within their facilities and by following their waste as far as the landfill to identify and locate materials that could be diverted. Then, working to educate the customer on how to effectively divert the material and then acting as a processor and marketer for the customer. A recent exciting development has been the program to collect and recycle the “blue wrap” that is very prevalent in hospital waste streams. The material is used to protect sterilized instruments prior to use. This program is currently being expanded within the Ministry Healthcare system. We are also working to expand the recycling of rigid plastics, beyond #1 & #2 bottles, for the Marshfield Clinic system. There is much more work to be done in Wisconsin’s recycling world and IROW hopes to be a part of it for another 20 years. Click here to go to IROW's web site. Portage County Solid Waste Department - Scott Schedler The Portage County Solid Waste Department announces two significant changes to their recycling program. The MRF is now officially a single-stream processing facility. Since August 2009 the MRF has accepted single-stream materials on a limited basis. However, as a result of the county signing a 10-year contract with Veolia Environmental Solutions to operate the MRF, Veolia agreed to install new sorting equipment that would retrofit the MRF’s original dual-stream processing system into a single-stream system. Another exciting addition to the recycling stream is the acceptance of paper cartons and aseptic containers for recycling on a voluntary basis. These types of containers are commonly used for chilled items such as milk, dairy, juice and other drink products, however increasingly aseptic cartons are being utilized for shelf food and beverages such as soups, broths, organic milk, soy milk, wine and juices. We are continually looking into new waste streams that can be diverted from the landfill. This spring Portage County has offered compost bin sales and fluorescent lamp recycling for residents and businesses. Both events have had phenomenal turn-outs. Click here to go to the Portage County Solid Waste Dept web site.
Click here to view the full legislative update.
International Compost Awareness Week ~ May 2-8, 2010 
AROW was happy to celebrate ICAW with its membership. We developed a resource page to help members help get the word out. To view the page go to the members only section, log in, then you can find a link to the ICAW page on the Organics & Composting Program Info page. Click here to view the recent AROW press release on ICAW.
AROW Program Updates AROW has 5 programming priorities: Advocacy, Education, Product Stewardship, Organics, and Hazardous & Special Waste. Below are brief updates and announcements related to each. AROW members are invited to participate on the related committees, developed to guide AROW’s initiatives in each arena. For more information, meeting notes, upcoming meeting information, please visit the Program Info section on the members only portion of the AROW website. Committee Co-Chairs: Meleesa Johnson, meleesa.johnson@co.marathon.wi.us and Jennifer Semrau, jsemrau@co.winnebago.wi.us AROW continues to develop its advocacy strategy and 2010 initiatives. AROW’s Executive Director and members of the board will participate in stakeholder and strategic planning dialogs regarding draft and introduced legislative proposals. Members are invited to participate in quarterly meetings to provide input and their expertise on current legislative initiatives and other discussion topics. Committee Co-Chairs: Elisabeth (Lis) Olson, elisabeth.olson@wisconsin.gov and Meribeth Sullivan, msullivan@waukeshacounty.gov Highlights from AROW’s Education Committee initiatives include:
Committee Chair: Wess Damro, wess@genesispolyrecycling.com Many of the AROW’s hazardous and special waste (HSW) initiatives have now been assumed by some of the organizations other program areas. While AROW will continue to prioritize hazardous and special waste issues, our advisory committee for this program area will now meet on an as needed basis. Stay tuned for more information. Committee Co-Chairs: Kathy Powell, kathy@recyclingconnections.org and Joe Van Rossum, vanrossum@epd.engr.wisc.edu Highlights from AROW’s Organics Committee initiatives include:
Committee Co-Chairs: Jennifer Havens, jenniferha@co.saint-croix.wi.us and Karen Fiedler, kfiedler@waukeshacounty.gov Highlights from AROW’s Product Stewardship (PS) Committee initiatives include:
AROW Discussion Groups: The Way to Stay Connected
Welcome to our new and returning members. New members since our last newsletter include: Genesis Poly Recycling - Wess Damro Next AROW Program Committee and Board Meetings Product Stewardship Committee: July 6, 2010, 1:30pm Board of Directors, July 20, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. Not an AROW member? Join today! Become a member of the state's top recycling organization. To learn more go to Join AROW. |
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First, I'd like to formally introduce our newest member of the Board of Directors, Mary Klun. Mary is the Recycling Coordinator for Douglas County and brings to the board a vast understanding of board governance from her 14 years of experience on the Superior School Board. She also offers a northern Wisconsin regional perspective on the Board. For more information about Mary and the AROW Board of Directors 
Next, please join me in thanking Jeff Gloyd for his service on the AROW Board of Directors from (2007 – 2010). Jeff resigned from Board in March, 2010 to focus his attention and energy on his new post with Waste Management, Inc. Best wishes, Jeff!
SAVE THE DATE: Please join us for the 2011 WIRM Conference on February 23-25 at the Hotel Sierra/KI Convention Center in Green Bay, WI.
Are you a local government member of AROW? Did you know that you can post your recycling information on 
Join AROW on LinkedIn. 
On April 22nd, 2010 Genesis Poly Recycling, Inc. announced that it is accepting rigid plastic containers for recycling. The announcement marks a significant advancement in local recycling allowing residents, businesses and farms in Minnesota and throughout the Midwest the opportunity to recycle millions of pounds of plastic that are currently landfilled and illegally destroyed by burning.
The Portage County Solid Waste Department administers a variety of solid waste programs to meet the needs of Portage County residents, including curb-side garbage/recycling services, drop-off garbage/recycling services, electronics recycling, appliance & tire recycling, waste oil & anti-freeze recycling, brush recycling and household hazardous materials services. 
The legislature began its last day of scheduled floor session on April 22nd. Current status of bills introduced this
legislative period related to recycling and solid waste are listed in the pdf document. Generally speaking if bills do not pass
both chambers before they adjourn from this session the bills will “die”. But remember the Governor does
have the ability to call a special session of the legislature for action on specific issues should he see fit. 
AROW's email discussion groups are a great way to stay connected with your colleagues. |
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