Section 137.02. Definitions.

  In this subchapter:

(1)  "Decomposition" means the biological, chemical, photochemical, or other physical process by which an organic substance is broken down and its molecular structure dismantled into soluble nutrients, minerals, inorganic compounds, simple organic compounds found in nature, carbon dioxide, methane or water, or any combination of those breakdown products.

(2)  "Department" means the state of Wisconsin department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection.

(3)  "Organic substance" means a natural or synthetic substance consisting of, derived from, or chemically related to carbon compounds in which hydrogen is bonded to carbon.

(4)  "Package" means any container, wrapping or packing material in which a product is contained or enclosed.

(5)  "Person" means an individual, corporation, partnership, association or other business organization or entity.

(6)  "Post-consumer material" means a product or other material generated by a business or consumer that has served its intended end use and has been recovered or diverted from the solid waste stream for purposes of recycling.

(7)  "Pre-consumer material" means material generated during any step in the production of a product that has been recovered or diverted from the solid waste stream for the purpose of recycling. "Pre-consumer material" does not include the virgin content of scraps or by-products generated and reused within the original product manufacturing process.

(8)  "Product" means a manufactured article, good, commodity, package or container that is sold or leased, offered for sale or lease, or promoted or distributed for sale or lease at wholesale or retail. "Product" includes a package or container that accompanies, encloses or contains another product.

(9)  "Recycled material" means pre-consumer material or post-consumer material, or both.

(10)  "Represent that a product is degradable" means to represent directly or by implication, through the use of any words or images, that a product is capable of complete or partial decomposition, and includes any representation that a product is biodegradable, photodegradable, compostable or decomposable.

(11)  "Represent that a product is recyclable" means to represent directly or by implication, through the use of any words or images, that a product is entirely or partly composed of materials that can be recovered from the solid waste stream and used in the manufacture of other products.

(12)  "Represent that a product is recycled" means to represent directly or by implication, through the use of any words or images, that a product is entirely or partly composed of recycled material.

(13)  "Representation" means any oral, written or pictorial representation made in connection with the sale, lease, offering for sale or lease, promotion or distribution of a product. "Representation" includes advertisements, product labels, statements made in the print or broadcast media, and representations made in the form of trademarks, logos, symbols or trade names.

History: Cr. Register, January, 1994, No. 457 , eff. 2-1-94; am. (intro.), Register, February, 1996, No. 482 , eff. 3-1-96.