CITY OF SUN PRAIRIE RECEIVES 2026 DANE COUNTY CLIMATE CHAMPION AWARD

300 East Main Street
Sun Prairie, WI 53590-2227
Website: https://cityofsunprairie.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – September 21, 2026
Ashley Manthei
Communications Manager
amanthei@cityofsunprairie.com
(608) 608-0322
 

SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. – For a sixth year in a row, the City of Sun Prairie has been recognized as a Climate Champion. This recognition, presented by Dane County Executive Melissa Agard and the Office of Energy and Climate Change, highlights our commitment to advance sustainability throughout our state and our city with significant efforts in reducing carbon emissions.

Achieving this status follows efforts associated with the City's RESCU food waste compost pilot. This USDA grant-funded project in partnership with Green Box Compost, Sustain Dane, and the Sun Prairie Area School District (SPASD) has offered discounted curbside compost services to over 140 households, at 10 city-wide events, and three Sun Prairie schools. In the schools, this project established composting at the West High School production kitchen in addition to lunchroom composting and share tables to redistribute uneaten food at two Sun Prairie elementary schools.

As part of this project, students engaged in educational opportunities associated with composting, nutrition, regenerative agriculture, and more. Learning opportunities extended beyond the classroom, with field trips for the two participating elementary schools to visit the Green Box Compost facility.

Compost produced as a result of this pilot is being distributed to Sun Prairie Community Gardens, SPASD, Liberty Park, food pantry gardens, and to other community partners for use in their gardens. Combined, these efforts have diverted nearly 60,000 pounds of food waste from the landfill, produced more than 40 cubic yards of compost, engaged over 3,000 people with composting resources and education, and avoided an estimated 31 metric tons of CO2 equivalent emissions.

“This pilot shows the impact community-scale composting can have on waste diversion and emissions reduction,” said Hannah Best, Sustainability Program Coordinator. “We are proud to be recognized as a Climate Champion and look forward to continuing to expand composting opportunities in Sun Prairie.”

For more information about Sun Prairie’s sustainability efforts, please visit www.cityofsunprairie.com/SustainableSunPrairie.
 
About City of Sun Prairie
Sun Prairie is a vibrant and thriving community located in northeastern Dane county, just east of the City of Madison. The City of Sun Prairie has experienced strong population growth since its incorporation from a village to a city in 1958, undergoing a transformation from a relatively small community of less than 4,000 to an estimated 36,394 today.