School Art Competition to Uncover Creative Visions for Newcastle's Sustainable Waste Future

(L-R backrow): Councillor Dr Elizabeth Adamczyk, Elissa Mead CN Waste Operations Analyst, and Patrick Arnold from MRA Consulting, with Our Lady of Victories students (front row).

City of Newcastle is inviting school students to share their visions for a circular economy as part of an art competition launched today to promote sustainability and resource recovery.

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The winning entries will be showcased on two waste collection trucks and numerous public bins across the city, with the art competition designed to encourage conversations around repairing, recycling and reusing resources.

Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the community will soon be given the opportunity to have their say on City of Newcastle's own vision for resource recovery, with Councillors to vote this month on placing the draft Our Sustainable Waste Strategy on public exhibition.

“With the Summerhill Waste Management Centre at its heart, Our Sustainable Waste Strategy will provide a model of best practice for waste, recycling and resource recovery while also playing a key role in the region’s ability to address future NSW and Federal government targets," Cr Nelmes said.

"The draft Strategy focusses on increased diversion and circular economy, envisaging a modernised Summerhill that will become a regional hub in resource recovery to maximise the value of material in residents’ yellow and green bins and decrease what ends up in landfill via their red bins.

"To reduce our impact on the planet, and get more value from limited resources, we need to shift to a circular economy where we return, reuse, repair and recycle to create minimal waste, save water and energy and keep those materials circulating for even longer.

"This school-based art competition is a fantastic way to engage the next generation in these important conversations while also encouraging broader community-wide feedback on Our Sustainable Waste Strategy."

The competition is open to all schools within the Newcastle Local Government Area, with one primary and one secondary school winner to be awarded an iPad Mini and Apple Pencil each for their creative efforts.

All schools represented in the competition will also be in the running to win a workshop from GoCircular, which will assist the school to become more sustainable by joining the circular economy.

The competition closes on 23 September, with the two winners to be announced later this month.

For more details visit www.newcastle.nsw.gov.au/ClosetheLoop