24 December 2020
Southern Downs Regional Council celebrated National Recycling Week by asking primary and kindergarten students to enter in competitions that highlighted the importance of closing the recycling loop. Students also learnt how buying products made with recycled content is also key to creating a sustainable future.
By keeping these materials in circulation for as long as possible, the environment benefits by reducing the extraction of virgin materials for new products, as well as the water and energy it takes to make them.
The 2020 National Recycling Week was held from the 9th to 15th November.
A Waste and Recycling Hero will be centrepiece of Council’s waste education campaign ‘Let’s Sort it Out Southern Downs!’ The hero will be providing messages to the community and school children on how we can minimise waste generation and improve recycling.
The competitions were judged by Council’s CEO Dave Burges and the Mayor Vic Pennisi. Mayor Vic Pennisi visited Applethorpe State School to present the prize winners from this school, and Councillor Stephen Tancred visited Yangan State School, Allora State School and Goodstart Percy Street, to present the prize winners from these schools/kindergarten.
Councillor Stephen Tancred said “Initiatives like these are a great way to remind the community how they can help preserve our environment”.
“Learning how to recycle and care for our environment is an essential life skill. It can start from a very young age and Southern Downs students are well on the way!” Cr Tancred said.
The winners received prizes including worm farms, reusable sandwich container, mini wheelie bins, pencils and a cardboard recycling truck.
The competition to name the Southern Downs Waste and Recycling Hero was won by Levi Morello of grade 2 of Applethorpe SS who came up with “Sort-It Sally”.
The Colouring-in Competition winners were;
Kindy: Winner – Madison Bond – Goodstart Percy Street. Highly Commended – Tessa King – Goodstart Percy Street.
Prep/Grade 1: Winner – Isaac Giacosa – Prep – Applethorpe State School.
Grades 2/3/4: Winner – Isabella Wolski – grade 4 – Allora State School. Highly Commended – Sasha Mapes – grade 2 – Yangan State School.
Grades 5/6: Winner – Indiana Kelly – grade 5 – Applethorpe State School. Highly Commended – Harlen McBean – grade 6 – Applethorpe State School.
For all the latest Council news and information, visit www.sdrc.qld.gov.au. Alternatively, call 1300 MY SDRC (1300 697 372), email mail@sdrc.qld.gov.au, or use the MySDRC app.