Every year the Wisconsin DNR recognizes recycling programs and efforts to minimize waste entering landfills across the state with the Recycling Excellence Award. This year, among the winners in the Special Events category, was the Tosa Green Summit.

With this award the DNR recognizes the hard work of the volunteers and organizers of the Tosa Green Summit who collected a total of 34,000 lbs of household hazardous waste, 8571 lbs of electronics, 8775 lbs of shredded paper, 3545 lbs. of textiles, 147 lbs of medications and 58 bikes over the course of two Saturdays in September. 

Tosa Green Summit chair, Jeff Roznowski believes this award to be “not an endpoint but a starting point.”

He wishes to build off of this momentum to continue the work of the Tosa Green Summit. 

“Hitting those two main themes of educating folks and providing them with tangible things to do to be green,” said Roznowski, who considers it the mission of the Green Summit to supply spaces for people to learn about sustainability along with spaces for them  to take concrete action.

The Recycling Excellence Award is a win extended to everyone who volunteered to assist the Green Summit in achieving their goal. Roznowski recognizes their dedication.

““[They] believe in the three P’s of sustainability: People, Planet, and Profit,” said Roznowski, “They care about the quality of life in Wauwatosa, care about the environment, and they care about the economic value.”

It is important to the Tosa Green Summit’s future success that the care shown this year remains. 

“I think we need to keep our focus on these things,” said Roznowski.

Wauwatosa has been recognized for sustainability before. Earlier this year the Tosa Compass covered the installation of solar panels on the civic center. Wauwatosa was also named a tree city by the Arbor Day Foundation and recognized by Bird City Wisconsin.

“During the last five or ten years the city has taken great strides to be more green and sustainable,” said Roznowski. 

He hopes those strides will carry the city into a better future. 

“Thinking about [the effects of] climate change and global warming, [..] this is the environment we have right now and we need to do everything we can to prevent [the worse] from happening,” said Roznowski,  “It’s an imperative goal.”