FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Nov. 14, 2025
Contact: Jennifer Semrau, DNR Waste Reduction and Diversion Coordinator
[email protected] or 608-381-0960

DNR Celebrates Wisconsin Recycling Excellence
Award Winners Ahead Of America Recycles Day

Oshkosh Correctional Institution won a 2025 Recycling Excellence Award for the Projects & Initiatives category. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR

MADISON, Wis. – In honor of America Recycles Day on Saturday, Nov. 15, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announces the winners of the 2025 Wisconsin Recycling Excellence Awards.

Wisconsin’s recycling law bans certain materials from the trash and establishes a statewide recycling program.

For the last 13 years, the DNR has celebrated outstanding recycling and waste minimization efforts through its annual awards recognizing high-performers and highlighting proven ideas and strategies that other organizations may use to improve their recycling efforts.

For 2025, the DNR is recognizing 22 organizations for going beyond what is required by law.

“This year marks a new record high number of Recycling Excellence Award winners,” said Jennifer Semrau, DNR waste reduction and diversion coordinator. “The number of nominations we received exemplified an outstanding commitment to recycling, upcycling and food waste reduction.”

In addition to landfill-banned items, which include curbside recyclables and electronics, the winners diverted many tons of food waste, roof shingles, plastic bags and film, propane cylinders, bicycles and other common materials for reuse or recycling.

Awards are given in one of four categories: Projects and Initiatives, Overall Program, Special Events and Innovation.

This year’s winners include:

Projects & Initiatives

• Calumet County VFW Post 3153
• Dane County Department of Waste + Renewables
• Destination Door County
• Milwaukee County Parks - Kosciuszko Community Center (Kozy)
• Oshkosh Correctional Institution (Winnebago County)
• Shorewood Elementary (Dane County)
• Tri-County Recycling (Brown, Outagamie, Winnebago Counties)
• First United Methodist Church of Neenah-Menasha Green Team (Winnebago County)
• Veolia Environmental Solutions and Services (Waukesha County)
• Village of Bayside (Milwaukee County)
• Winsert, LLC (Marinette County)
• Sustain Dane (Dane County)

Overall Program

• Badger Prairie Needs Network (Dane County)
• City of De Pere (Brown County)
• Inpro Corporation (Waukesha County)
• University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (Milwaukee County)
• WasteCap Resource Solutions (Milwaukee County)

Special Events

• Riverfest Inc (La Crosse County)
• 3rd Annual Recycling Extravaganza/Robert Blaus, Event Organizer (Oneida County)

Innovation

• Bikes for Kids Wisconsin (Dane County)
• Merrimac Community School (Sauk County)

Honorable Mention

• Town of Mentor (Clark County)

View their full profiles on the Wisconsin Recycling Excellence Awards webpage.

For more information on recycling in Wisconsin, visit the DNR’s What to Recycle in Wisconsin webpage.