MADISON, Wis. - The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is recognizing 10 recycling programs from a mix of businesses, schools, nonprofits and local governments with the 2019 Wisconsin Recycling Excellence Awards. In honor of America Recycles Day on Nov. 15, the DNR is recognizing four entities for "overall operations of a recycling program," four entities for "special projects and initiatives" and two entities for program "innovation." "It is exciting to see communities and businesses find new ways to reduce waste and recycle," DNR Waste and Materials Management Program Director Joe Van Rossum said. "We want to promote these efforts and share how we divert materials from landfills in Wisconsin." The Overall Program Awards recognize efforts that are robust and continually improving while demonstrating a commitment to improving the overall recycling or diversion program. * The city of New Richmond went through a comprehensive update of its residential recycling services, which the city had not revisited since 1996. In 2018, the city began round table discussions with recycling contractors and utilized an online and paper survey to solicit input from the community. The analysis led to a conversion to automated single-stream recycling. The city also works with TerraCycle to recycle cigarette filters in its downtown district.