The Wisconsin Coalition for Recycling, a non-profit citizens' action group, was founded on February 2, 1980 in response to a concern about the waste of energy and natural resources in Wisconsin, the growing amount of litter, landfill space, and the lack of recycling policies in the state. The founding members aimed to successfully pass a beverage container law in Wisconsin and to encourage statewide recycling efforts. The Coalition was based in Madison but there were also a group of volunteers in Stevens Point and an office in Milwaukee. Marsha Cannon served as co-chairperson and treasurer of the seven-member board which included Carol Luetkens, chairperson, Larry Sperling, secretary, Dan Fago, Glenn Reynolds, Michael Brandt, and Burton Howells. Originally, the Coalition had a mailing list of over 400 individuals and 60 groups including the Sierra Club, the League of Women Voters, and the Izaak Walton League of America.
To promote public education on the values of recycling and resource conservation the Coalition engaged in an active awareness campaign consisting of door-to-door and telephone canvassing, attendance at environmental fairs and forums, publicity, and lobbying. The Coalition specifically targeted the 18 to 25 age group partly because they felt the group was a main consumer of bottled and canned goods. Other activities in which the Coalition engaged were weekly meetings, a monthly newsletter, fundraisers, annual meetings, and maintaining a strong presence on college campuses throughout Wisconsin. In addition, the Coalition worked closely with the Committee on Environmental Resources in an attempt to have a strong lobbying presence at legislative hearings.
By the time the Coalition was founded in 1980 Wisconsin had unsuccessfully introduced deposit legislation yearly for the past 17 years. Because of the vast amount of lobbying against beverage container deposits by the food, beverage, and container industry, the Coalition chose to seek outside assistance by incorporating with a national environmental organization, Environmental Action, Inc. The incorporation took place in 1983, giving the Coalition, among other things, a needed financial base for the attempt of rallying legislation to successfully pass a beverage container law in Wisconsin. At the time of the incorporation, the Coalition changed its name to the Wisconsin Coalition for Recycling, Inc. However, after repeated efforts to pass a beverage container law in Wisconsin had failed, the Coalition was dissolved in 1985.
