From waste to art

Tauranga Intermediate students Rylee Laurie, 12, Riley Andrew, 11, Jessica Cotterill, 12. Photo: Tracy Hardy.

Western Bay of Plenty school students and adults alike are encouraged to look around the house this long weekend and stop waste going to landfill by turning it into art.

The Sustainable Art Challenge is back for 2017 and registrations are open until next Friday, June 9, in four categories – upcycled junk, Trash to Fash, photography and short movies.

Sustainable Backyards coordinator Diana Donker says the aim behind the competition is for young people especially to learn about waste materials going to landfill.

'It's about recycling and doing something with a product that would otherwise have ended up in landfill.

'It's also about using their creativity along with inventive ways to reduce waste and its impact on the environment – again using materials that would have ended up in landfill to create something beautiful.

'So it's a bit of combining art and environmental issues.”

So what kinds of unique waste items are being re-created when people let their creative juices flow? 'In the Trash to Fash category one girl is making a dress from plastic bags and using wire to bind them together.

'Another is making a dress from ties – she had heaps donated, with people hardly wearing ties these days.”

Diana says last year's overall winner made a dress from teabags. 'I don't remember how many they were but it was an amazing creation and it took a very long time to create.”

The competition's only rule is entrants – who have to be intermediate age or older – can't buy their creation's primary materials brand new.

Prizes will be awarded to the most creative group and single entry within each age group, with big points awarded for those 'who think outside the square”.

And with a long weekend ahead, it's good chance to people to enter and start looking for waste materials to make their creations.

'Yes, absolutely,” says Diana. 'There is still time. Registrations close June 9, but we don't mind if some are still filtering in on June 15 – and they have until June 30 to finish their creations.”

Creations in all four categories will be showcased for three days at Baycourt from June 31-July 2, with the award ceremony that evening culminating in fashion show.

'The award night on July 2 is a full catwalk show of entrants' creations with full make-up – it's a good night.”

And Diana says the cool thing about the competition is the spectrum of people who enter. 'The youngest will be 11 – and last year the oldest was in her sixties. So it's something for everyone.”

To find out more about the competition or to register visit envirohub.org.nz/sustainable-art-challenge/

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