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Contests from the Solid Waste District
The Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District offers contests for kids and students throughout the year. Most contests take place during the school year. See the list below for more information.
- 3R's Photo Contest -- January
- Project Recycle Clothing Drive -- February
- Zero Waste Challenge -- April
- Poetree Contest -- May
If you are interested in participating in one of these local contests, contact the District's Education Specialist at (216) 443-3731.
3R's Photo Contest
Take a digital photo of anything related to the 3R’s: reduce, reuse and recycle. It could be a spontaneous recycling shot or a planned photo shoot. You might take a photo of a pile of home recyclables, a person swapping a toy or game with a friend, or even a cute pet recycling the daily news. Add a clever caption that will encourage others to reduce, reuse or recycle.
Entries
Digital photos must be three (3) megapixels or larger. Entries require high/print quality images – 2048 x 1536 resolution with a minimum 4" x 6" print. Six (6) megapixel picture with a resolution of 3072 x 2048 is preferred.
Each entry must include the photographer’s name, address, school, age, and the photo caption.
Entries are due by 11:59 p.m. local time on January 31, 2016. Entries can be emailed to [email protected] (to confirm receipt of your entry and attachment, send a second email or call 216-443-3731). Classes can send entries on CDs or flash drive to be dropped off or mailed to 3 R Contest, CCSWD, 4750 East 131 Street, Garfield Heights, OH 44105. Only entries by Cuyahoga County residents and those attending school in Cuyahoga County will be judged and eligible for prizes.
Eligibility
This contest is open to all students ages 6-18 and will be judged in four categories by age: 6-8 years old, 9-11 years old, 12-14 years old and 15-18years old. Pictures can be taken anywhere—inside, outside, at home, or at school. You can take action shots or stage your photo. If there are any people in the photo, please ask for their permission.
Photos that have been digitally altered, or “photoshopped,” beyond dust removal, cropping, or natural adjustments to color and contrast, etc. can be disqualified. Also, photos with inappropriate content determined by a reviewer will be disqualified. The original camera made file maybe requested.
Judging and Prizes
Photographers will be entered into age categories. Entries in the age categories will be reviewed and at least 10 entries per category will be posted on our website for viewing. The general public will have 10-14 day time frame to vote for their favorite via email. An annoucement will be made about the voting schedule.
Prizes will include a poster of winning entries and other earth day or recycling themed items. All participants will receive a certificate thanking them for entering. Take a shot for a chance at a cool recycling prize.
Your entry to the contest constitutes your agreement to allow your photographs or artwork with your name and city of residence to be published when judged by the public and then the selected award winners published on Solid Waste District’s website and other educational and promotional materials to encourage recycling, but not limited to, Web sites, emails, newsletters, posters, and all other electronic or print media. Entrants retain ownership and all other rights to future use of their photographs.
Winners 2015
Bounded by What We Leave Behind by Cassandra Girardi of Walsh Jesuit High School
My Green Garden by Nicole Fiorelli, Euclid
Project Recycle Clothing Drive
Join the Cuyahoga County Project Recycle Clothing Drive! For the third year in a row, students are invited to bring in bags of gently used clothing to their school from February 28-March 11, 2016. The purpose of the program is to educate your students on the importance of reusing and recycling, while supporting Goodwill’s mission of improving the quality of life and employment opportunities for people.
Goodwill Industries will place blue bin(s) at the school the week prior for the drive to store clothing. The school division leaders with the highest donation/student ratio will win an environmental variety show from the Illusion Maker (over $1,000) provided by Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District. A winner will be announced in April.
To register your school, please provide the following information:
• School Name
• Address
• Number of Students
• Contact Person/Phone Number/E-mail Address
• # of Blue Bins Requested (2 max)
Register with Goodwill's Evette Moton at [email protected] or by fax at (440) 545-1089.
2015 Participants
Lakewood Catholic Academy was declared the 2015 winner of Project Recycle. The recycling clothing challenge occurred for one week in March at participating schools. Lakewood Catholic Academy K- 4th grade students were treated to a performance of the Illusion Maker sponsored by the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District. A total of six schools participated in the contest collecting in Cuyahoga County.
Lakewood Catholic Academy 1.8 lbs. per student
Chestnut Intermediate 1.3 lbs. per student
Shoreview Elementary 1.0 lbs. per student
Hayes Elementary 0.9 lbs. per student
Incarnate Word Academy 0.6 lbs. per student
Drake Elementary School 0.4 lbs. per student
Zero Waste Challenge
A “Zero Waste” School contender will attempt to make the least amount of waste during lunch on their challenge day in April. This a great project for a student council, environmental 
club or PTA to organize and monitor. The winning school will become the “Zero Waste” title holder for the year and is awarded recycled milk jug bench. The challenge is held on one day chosen by the school on or before last Friday of April.
While supplies last, all schools participating will receive up to 20 “Zero Waste” lunch boxes to be distributed to organizers or students who set a good example. Schedule the Education Specialist to visit during lunch to hand out small prizes for any student with a waste free lunch.
Students are demonstrating what can be packed to make a zero waste lunch. The ultimate goal is zero waste, and hopefully all the participating students and their parents will continue to plan and pack waste free lunches.
Results for 2015
This is the thirteenth year of the “Zero Waste” Challenge. The challenge winner is the school that achieved the lowest percentage of waste generated during lunch. We had two schools that participated the year before and wanted to attempt the challenge again. Both schools labeled all collection bins and provided zero waste volunteers to help students separate recycling, composting and trash.
Congratulations to Chippewa Elementary of Brecksville for being the 2015 Zero Waste Challenge Title Holder. The K-3 student body of 306 participated in the challenge on Ear Day, April 22nd, and they only created 17.5 pounds of trash. This is only 0.057 pounds per student.
When we change behavior and collectively make the effort, we can achieve Zero Waste.
1. Chippewa Elementary 17.5 pounds 306 participants .057 pounds per student
2. Olmsted Intermediate 44.7 pounds 567 participants .079 pounds per student
Poetree Contest
Discover the poet in your students with poetry written about trees. The contest is for Cuyahoga County first to twelfth grade students. The tree poem must be written on single side of letter-sized paper. Drawings are allowed. On back of entry, student's name, address, school and grade is required. Each grade level winner will be awarded tree related prizes. All participates will receive a certification of participation.
Entries are due by Friday, May 8, 2024 with winners announced and prizes awarded in late May.
