Youngsters reap the rewards for their imaginative recycling skills

17 February 2017

Aberdeen youngsters were today (Friday 17 February) awarded for their creativity and imagination in recycling waste over the festive period in a special awards ceremony at Culter School.

Fittingly it was Culter Primary 2 pupil, six year old Isla Horgan who won the first prize in Aberdeen City Council’s Green Santa creative category for her Santa and Rudolph’s sleigh decoration made out of toilet roll holders and takeaway trays.

The annual initiative spearheaded by Aberdeen City Council’s very own Green Santa saw 15 schools sign up in December 2016 to the campaign challenge to put discarded items to good use by transforming them into Christmas decorations and gifts.

 Aberdeen City Council's Zero Waste Management sub-committee convener Councillor Jean Morrison presented the awards to the winners. She said: "Our previous Green Santa campaigns focused on collecting materials or toys that were no longer wanted to ensure they were reused or recycled. For Christmas 2016 year the emphasis was on ways to reduce waste.

“We wanted to achieve that by salvaging items that would otherwise have been thrown away and I’m delighted to say that the judging panel had a tough task in picking out winners from the very creative submissions we received.” .

In keeping with previous years, the initiative also worked with schools to collect unwanted technology – from old phones and laptops to TVs and printer cartridges – to be refurbished and reused or recycled through specialists Re-Tek. A percentage of the profit arising from the equipment is being used to support good causes. 

The winning schools in this category were St Josephs and Scotstown, while a special award was awarded a special prize to Hazlewood School, whose pupil, 16 year old Demi Pert took on responsibility for organising the collection for her school project. 

Councillor Morrison added: “We always have a fantastic response with electrical items being donated and this year has been no different. A huge thanks to all the schools and pupils who took part in this great campaign.” In addition, we’re hoping to repeat the success of previous years – with electrical items being donated and put to good use. There has always been a fantastic response to this part of the Green Santa campaign.”