Winners Announced for the Gloucestershire Energy from Waste Facility’s Design a Mug Competition

We are delighted to announce the winners of our 2024 Design a Mug Competition! This year, we introduced a new creative challenge, moving away from our traditional design a poster competition to something a little different. The response was fantastic, with local primary school students submitting a wide range of imaginative and inspiring designs.

After careful consideration, our judging panel selected three outstanding winners:

Harry Snape – Gotherington Primary, Year 1
Georgina Hayward – St Helens C of E Primary School, Year 3
Gracie Adams – Stow on the Wold Primary School, Year 6

HARRY SNAPE RECOGNISED FOR HIS CREATIVITY IN HIS SCHOOL ASSEMBLY

Each winner has received a £50 gift card, and a donation was made to their school. Their designs have now been printed on mugs, which they will be presented with as a special keepsake. These mugs will also be used by staff and visitors at the facility, helping to promote awareness of the 4Rs – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Recover.

Entries were judged by team members from the facility, with the names and schools of participants hidden to ensure a blind judging process. The judges were only given the child’s school year and age, allowing them to focus purely on the design itself. They were incredibly impressed by the creativity and thought behind every entry, but three designs particularly stood out:

Harry’s Design – Harry’s bright and eye-catching illustration of four bins for metal, glass, plastic, and paper clearly highlights the importance of recycling precious materials. His use of colour and simple, clear messaging made it an instant favourite.

Georgina’s Design – Georgina’s entry provided a powerful visual representation of what happens when waste is not properly managed and the impact this has on biodiversity. Waste ending up in rivers and seas is a growing concern - one that children often ask about during visits to our facility. Her design sends a strong environmental message about the importance of responsible waste management and protecting wildlife.

Gracie’s Design – Gracie’s entry stood out for its strong connection to what we do at the facility, while also emphasizing the importance of the 4Rs. While we work hard to transform household residual waste into a valuable resource, we strongly encourage residents to reduce, reuse, and recycle wherever possible. Her design perfectly captured this message, making it a great educational tool.

Melanie de la Torre Zamora, Community Relationship Manager, said: "It has been fantastic to see the creativity and enthusiasm from local schoolchildren in this competition. The winning designs, along with all the wonderful entries, are now proudly displayed in our reception area as a mini exhibition. Staff and visitors have loved seeing the artwork, and the mugs serve as a great daily reminder of the 4Rs and the importance of sustainability."

This competition was a fantastic opportunity for young people to engage with waste and sustainability issues in a creative and meaningful way. It was inspiring to see how much thought went into each design, and we are thrilled to showcase the winning entries on mugs that will be used daily at the facility.

A huge thank you to everyone who took part! We hope this competition has helped spark conversations about waste management and sustainability, encouraging the next generation to think about their role in protecting the environment.

Keep an eye out for our next competition here: www.gloucestershireefw.co.uk/competition