In mid 2011, Veolia Environmental Services Tasmania launched a design competition for all primary school aged students to create an engaging, innovative sketch for Veolia’s new recycling education vehicle.
Answering the call was St Michaels Collegiate student Kate Smyth, who won the Veolia Children’s Design Competition; unleashing her creative talents to spread the word on the importance of recycling to other schools across the State, as part of National Recycling Week 2011.
Veolia’s Education Vehicle was launched recently by Minister for Environment, Parks and Heritage the Hon. Brian Wightman. From here the Van, together with Recycling Education Officers Rachel Berechree and Robert Wise, began it’s tour of the state, visiting schools to actively promote important environmental messages, as well as educating young Tasmanians on the correct ways to recycle.
St Michaels Collegiate School Teacher Sam Judd said Kate and her classmates had taken an immediate interest in the competition and had worked tirelessly on several different design ideas.
“The students gained a lot from learning about recycling in a fun and creative way and it’s great to see Veolia finding innovative ways to educate our younger generations about the importance of looking after our environment,” Ms Judd said.
“The entire class worked on a number of design concepts and we’re thrilled to see Kate’s winning entry being selected for the vehicle.”
Kate will not only get to see her design painted on the van, but she has also won an Apple iPad and $1,000 for her school.
Now in its 16th year, National Recycling Week (NRW) is an established and highly regarded annual education and behaviour change campaign, aiming to improve the environmental benefits of kerbside, industrial and community recycling programs.
Veolia Group General Manager David Beard said to coincide with NRW, Veolia had also developed an online educational and interactive microsite for schools, providing a raft of games and tools for students.
“Veolia believes in the value of educating the next generation on the importance of recycling, and our new online educational resources allow young students to further their knowledge in a fun and interactive way,” Mr Beard said.
“This, paired with the launch of our new Recycling Education Vehicle, will really help us to drive home the responsible recycling message.”