COLUMBUS, OH - Ohios young artists in grades 1-6 are invited to help celebrate the importance of recycling and litter prevention by creating color posters for a statewide contest, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).
ODNRs Division of Recycling & Litter Prevention, the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc. (ISRI), and The Plastic Lumber Company, Inc. are partnering to sponsor this year's twelfth annual recycling and litter prevention poster contest. Winning posters, two from each grade level, will be used to create a 13-month, full-color wall calendar to be distributed early in 2003.
Last year, more than 8,000 students from across the state participated in the divisions annual poster contest, said Ron Kolbash, chief of ODNR's Division of Recycling & Litter Prevention. This contest offers artists who understand the many benefits of recycling and litter prevention an opportunity to share their knowledge and enthusiasm with others.
Contest winners will be announced in December. Each will be recognized at special community awards events to be held in the spring. Each winner will also be presented with a bench made of recycled plastic lumber that will be placed in a public area of the child's choice.
In addition, the contest sponsors will award each of the winners a recycled-content t-shirt, a recycled plastic lumber Adirondack chair and a special recycled-content prize. All winning artwork will be displayed in the Natural Resources Park at the 2003 Ohio State Fair.
Ohio teachers and home educators can submit entries to their local recycling and litter prevention program, solid waste district or ISRI representative. Local contest deadlines vary; contact your local recycling and litter prevention program for details. The deadline for statewide entries is November 1.
For more information about the contest or local recycling and litter prevention programs, contact Kelly Armfelt at 614-265-6358 or Kate Moening at 614-265-6373 or visit the Ohiodnr.com web site.