Background

Recycling is of great benefit to the environment because it reduces energy used, enhances the quality of water and air, and combats climate change. It also decreases the need for the use of new raw materials to create new products, thus conserving natural resources and positively impacting on the economy.

Global Recycling Day, celebrated on March 18^th annually, is a recycling initiative that encourages people all over the world to view waste material produced from new perspectives. It seeks to encourage change in the outlook of governments, businesses, communities, and individuals around the world, to see recyclable material as a resource. It is hoped that recognition of such a day will promote recycling, reusing, and repurposing items that are normally considered trash to be disposed of.

One deterrent to the collection of materials in schools that can be recycled is the space to store such materials until such time that these can be collected by the relevant agencies. School personnel have noted that as recyclable materials (plastic, paper/carboard and aluminum) are collected in schools in garbage bags, these occupy a huge amount of space. Such materials have to be collected following schedules determined by the collecting agencies, and as space in some schools is very limited, this discourages the collection of material for recycling.

Competition Information

To encourage the collection of recyclable material in schools, and to reduce the amount of space required to store such material, an inter-school competition is proposed to align with the awareness of Global Recycling Day.

This inter-school competition will be open to students of secondary schools Forms 1 to 3. It will involve the design and construction of a device/ machine for the reduction in the volume of recyclable waste material commonly accumulated in schools and the space required to store such. These recyclable products can include plastic, paper/cardboard, and aluminum products.

Competition Guidelines

Launch of Competition: Week of January 3^rd to January 6^th, 2023
Information Guide for Teachers and Students. (Information Guide)
Registration process via (Microsoft Forms): Open until March 17^th, 2023
Information on entries (product details) via Microsoft Forms: Closing date: March 17^th ^, 2023
Submission of the completed machine/device: Category 1 and Category 2: Closing date: March 31^st, 2023
Submission of a portfolio reflecting activities completed by students. Closing date: March 31^st,2023
Contents of Portfolio (Portfolio Template)
Email address for submission of completed portfolio: Comp.Impact@moe.gov.tt
Judging period: April 17^th to April 28^th 2023