The hard work you have put in has meant that Rochford District Council is now officially the top recycling authority in the country!

To celebrate this, and to say a big thank you, the Council launched a special competition for schoolchildren across the District.

We asked youngsters to come up with a design and slogan about what the Council being named the Top Recycling Authority in the Country meant to them.

We were very impressed with the hundreds of ideas and entries we received as the youngsters came up with a huge number of inspiring thoughts about recycling and the environment!

Unfortunately, we could only choose three winners, one from each of the following age categories: 5-8 years; 9-11 years; 12-16 years.

Each of the lucky winners will see their pictures and wording displayed on the side of the collection vehicles which travel around the District collecting the materials.

In addition, the winners received a £25 Amazon Voucher each and a composter for their school. The school also received a special wall clock and thermometer which is made from recycled plastic cups!

Ethen Adams
Aged 12
Sweyne Park School

Ethen was the winner in the age 12-16 category and got his inspiration for the picture by looking at the Recycling pages on the Council’s website.

His mum told us that when he was younger, Ethen loved looking out for the collection vehicles, and so he is really pleased that his design will be featured on the side of them.

Ethen usually paints pictures by holding a paintbrush in his mouth because he’s paralysed from the shoulders down as a result of a virus he contracted as a baby. But for this picture, he explained what he wanted to design and a friend helped him with the drawing.

Lucy May
Aged 9
Holt Farm Junior School

Lucy was the winner in the age 9-11 category and looked at some of the images that were already on the collection vehicles for ideas. The picture represents many different people carrying out recycling which helps to influence and encourage the community to be keen recyclers!

Lucy helps out with recycling at home and thinks it’s very important. She’s very excited about winning the competition for her age group and said her family will be really pleased!

Adam Vickers
Aged 7
Holt Farm Junior School and Second Hawkwell Beavers Group

Adam said he was ‘very very happy’ to have come first in the age 5-8 category. Adam read about the Council being the Top Recycling Authority in the Country in a local newspaper and the picture shows him recycling as this is his ‘job’ at home for which he gets paid 10p!

Adam thinks it’s really important to recycle otherwise there would be piles of rubbish, and it’s always better to use things again rather than making things from new materials.