Associated Recyclers of Wisconsin Advocacy Policy

Formal policy for the AROW Board of Directors to take action on requests from members to support and/or advocate a proposed position. The following criteria will be the basis for action taken by the AROW Board when considering a formal request for AROW to advocate a position:

1. AROW will only consider requests from active AROW members.

2. AROW will not support or endorse any specific product, service, or business. Such promotional requests will be denied.

3. All requests must be based on factual and documented information, which must be presented with the request. AROW will not endorse any proposal based on supposition, speculation or incomplete data.

4. AROW will work to support issues pertinent to its mission and relative to the state of Wisconsin. Only issues of state interest will be considered. National issues should be addressed to the National Recycling Coalition (NRC).

5. All requests must conform to the mission and objectives of the AROW strategic plan.

6. AROW is a broad based coalition of both public and private sector members. AROW will make every effort to not work in opposition to members' concerns and livelihoods. AROW will not endorse positions which may adversely impact any specific sector of its membership.

7. Requests to the Board will be evaluated to determine if they are an advocacy position or an educational issue. Education is one of the key objectives of AROW and the Board will work to facilitate forums on issues determined to be of an educational nature.

8. Notice of Request: The AROW Board wishes to be proactive. Adequate time should be given for the Board to formally discuss all requests. All requests must be presented to the Board a minimum of 30 days prior to a scheduled Board meeting (meetings are held quarterly). The request should include adequate supporting documentation that can be forwarded to all Board members in advance of the meeting.

9. All requests for advocacy will be discussed and voted on at regular Board meetings as a specified agenda item. All requests meeting the above criteria shall receive formal action by the Board. To be adopted as a position of AROW, an advocacy request must receive a 2/3 vote of the full Board (6 votes).