The Richland County Regional Solid Waste Management Authority took time at their board meeting on Wednesday to recognize three students for their outstanding efforts in the annual Recycling Calendar Poster Contest.
Third-grader Erica Ye from Sherman Elementary School in Mansfield, eighth-grader Taylor Moore from Madison Middle School and junior Katelyn Burnett from Plymouth High School were each individually recognized as overall winners in their respective school categories. The three girls received recycled content prizes and a Richland Mall gift certificate.
Ken Bender, Executive Director of the Richland County Regional Solid Waste Management Authority, explained Ye, Moore and Burnett were chosen as overall winners out of more than 100 entries from eight different schools in Richland County.
“We had some really great entries, but what we have here today are the overall winners in the three categories,” said Bender. “We’re very appreciative that you took the time to do such a great job on these posters.”
Students created posters to show how individuals or groups can look to the future and make a commitment to save resources, keep litter out of the environment and beautify their communities. The theme of the contest was “One Planet, One Dream, Go Green.”
Burnett said she chose a specific style of drawing for her poster that she had perfected as a Girl Scout. Her poster’s message reads, “We need to take care of our planet.”
“I’ve been doing that art style for a couple years now, so I mixed that with what I’ve learned so far,” she said.
Moore said she remembers designing a t-shirt in fifth grade that said, “Keep it green and clean,” which served as the inspiration for her poster’s message, “Keep me green and keep me clean.” Moore said she likes to draw and would like to be an interior designer someday.
“The design just kind of came to me,” she said.
Ye’s poster stayed true to the theme of “One Planet, One Dream, Go Green,” with the message written multiple times in various colors all over her poster, along with the Solid Waste Authority’s motto of “reduce, reuse, recycle.” She said she also included various drawings of flowers on her poster because she really likes flowers.
Burnett, Moore and Ye’s posters will join nine more to from the Richland County 2014-2015 school year recycling calendar. These nine additional winners include Leslie Mack, Plymouth High School; Hannah Shafer, Madison Middle School; Elizabeth Ewers, Mifflin School; Danielle Krietemeyer, Spencer Beer and Tanner Herring, St. Mary’s School in Shelby; Trinity Potts, Dowds Elementary School; Brooklyn Gwirtz and Macy Rall, Sacred Heart School.
The calendars will be distributed to schools and county agencies, and will be made available to the public by stopping by or calling the Solid Waste Authority at 419-522-5024 or 419-774-5861.
