Residents of Usk and the surrounding areas can help Usk Primary School to win a playground with a frame made of 100% recycled materials – including recycled plastic food storage containers and lids, as well as reusable plastic water bottles and caps by bringing this used waste to the school’s public collection point

The Sistema® Recycled Playground Contest is running from 12th September until 18th December 2024 and the school that collects the most amount of plastic food storage containers and lids, as well as reusable plastic water bottles and caps, in that time will be crowned the winner

The school is asking people to help them in their efforts to win the playground, by bringing their used plastic food storage containers and lids, as well as reusable plastic water bottles and caps to the school’s collection box. Used food storage containers and plastic bottles from any brand are accepted. The school collection box, located at the school reception is open to the public between the hours of 9 am and 3 pm Monday through Friday.

The Sistema® Food Storage Container and Reusable Bottle Free Recycling Programme is a free national recycling programme for all brands of used food storage containers and lids and plastic bottles and caps, which cannot be recycled through conventional kerbside recycling collections and would otherwise end up in landfill.

The school that collects the largest amount of used plastic food storage containers and lids, as well as reusable plastic water bottles and caps to send back to TerraCycle to be recycled, will win the top prize; a playground with a frame made from 100% recycled material. The recycled playground will comprise two slides, an approach ramp with rope and a large joining platform amongst other features. Additionally, the winning and runner-up school will also both win a Sistema lunchbox and water bottle for each pupil. The winners will be announced in January 2025.

Louise Burton, a member of Usk Primary’s PFTA commented: “We’re thrilled to be participating in this great contest from Sistema and we are calling on all members of the Usk community to help us be in with a chance of winning. Simply bring any used food storage containers and lids, as well as reusable plastic water bottles and caps, to the drop-off location collection box at the school reception between the hours of 9 am to 3 pm Monday through Friday. This really is a great initiative that will not only help our school but also our environment, whilst educating our pupils and the local community on the importance of recycling. Additionally, we currently do not have any play structures in our playground, and we do not have the budget to provide one, so this contest is very important to the school.”

Usk Primary School will be able to monitor the amount of waste they have sent in for recycling and their efforts in the contest through a leaderboard on the Sistema® contest page on the TerraCycle website, which is updated on a monthly basis.