SOMERSET West and Taunton (SWT) Council’s ‘Recycling on the Go’ school poster competition has been extended to give schools more time to participate.
It aims to inspire students to raise awareness of the new bins within their local communities and promote their use through the creation of an informative and engaging poster.
Posters can be A3 or A4 in size and either hand-drawn or computer-generated.
They should include a depiction of a three-compartment outdoor recycling bin; instructions encouraging the recycling of plastic bottles and cans using the correct openings; and the phrase “Recycling on the go”.
They can also include information on the positive effects of recycling for the environment.
Applications received will be screened and assessed by a panel of SWT officers and advisors.
The winning entrant will receive a £500 donation to their school as well as a printed and framed version of their poster, which will also be published as part of the Council’s communications campaign to promote the new bins.
The competition was launched last month to help promote the introduction of 130 new public bins, which are currently being installed across the district and due for completion later this year.
In addition to waste, dog droppings and cigarette butts, the configuration of the new bins allows plastic bottles and aluminum or tin cans to be deposited separately, thus facilitating on-the-go recycling in rural and urban public spaces.
They will replace a number of existing bins that are no longer fit for purpose and will be strategically located to encourage further recycling and responsible waste disposal.
The competition is supported by Somerset County Council‘s Education Support Services (ESS) and is open to pupils aged 11-16 attending schools in the SWT area.
It will close on January 31.
Executive Member of Environmental Services, Cllr Andrew Sully, said: “It is understood that recycling conserves natural resources and saves energy, and as a local authority it was an obvious choice to maximize the opportunities recycling thanks to the introduction of new bins.
“The poster contest is a great way for young people to have fun while learning about the positive effects of recycling and with the abundance of young talent across the district, I hope it inspires many students to encourage public adoption of the new bins through their creative poster designs.
“I encourage all of our schools to get involved and we look forward to seeing the submissions.”
Executive Member for Climate Change, Cllr Dixie Darch, added: “We are really excited to offer on-the-go recycling to residents and tourists with the rollout of the new bins.
“The competition is a wonderful opportunity for school children to see how their artwork can make a difference and will highlight how recycling more is a positive action we can all take to help our planet.”
Any schools whose students have a passion for the environment and wish to enter the competition can obtain a full summary of the competition, information on the criteria and poster details by emailing J.Healy@somersetwestandtaunton .gov.uk.