AROW: Honors recycling and waste reduction efforts throughout Wisconsin at annual awards ceremony

Stevens Point, WI (April 7, 2026) – The Associated Recyclers of Wisconsin (AROW) proudly held their annual awards ceremony at the 2026 Wisconsin Integrated Resource Management Conference (www.wirmc.org). The ceremony, held on February 26^th, recognized individuals and organizations for outstanding work in the field of recycling and waste reduction. 

“AROW is always eager to recognize individuals who are dedicated to our industry. The recipients this year exemplify the impact of waste reduction and recycling in Wisconsin, showcasing accomplishments in both public and private sectors,” said Betsy Powers, AROW’s President. “AROW is the voice for recycling and waste reduction in Wisconsin and we are proud to recognize these individuals and groups.”

This year AROW gave out a total of three awards. 

The prestigious Christy Dixon Recycler of the Year Award was awarded to Sarah Murray, WI Department of Natural Resources. This recognition is given to an individual whose career demonstrates the highest professional standards.

This year’s award honors Sarah Murray’s 20-year career in waste diversion. As the long-time E-cycle Wisconsin coordinator, Sarah helped shape and shepherd the success of electronics recycling in the state, resulting in over 420 million pounds of electronics recycled.

The Outstanding Achievement in Education-Organization Award went to the Tri-County Partnership for their Master Recycler program.

The Tri-County Partnership is a collaboration between Brown, Outagamie, and Winnebago County and this award recognizes the Partnership’s innovative Recycle Right Master Class program for achieving outstanding education and outreach for waste reduction, recycling, and waste diversion. Fashioned after Master Gardner or Master Composter programs, the Tri-County Partnership created a curriculum for individuals seeking to become non-professional recycling experts. Students participate in 101, 201 and 301 courses covering recycling basics, beyond the bin and recycling in context topics. To graduate, participants must also complete  401, requiring 10 hour of volunteer service within 6 months.

The Outstanding Achievement in Education – Individual Award went to Kelly Reyer from Winnebago County.

Kelly wrote a book titled The ABCs of Recycling, which assigns a recyclable material or topic with each letter of the alphabet. Designed for third-grade students, the book has been disseminated throughout Brown, Outagamie and Winnebago counties, providing a fun, educational resource for teachers and their students.

For more detailed information on each of our award recipients please go to our awards page on the AROW website at www.arow-online.org/awards.

AROW is a membership-based organization, serving the recycling and waste reduction interests of citizens, organizations, municipalities and businesses across the state. For those who support recycling and wish to see more waste diverted into productive use, consider joining the cause by becoming an AROW member.