Environmental artwork to adorn recycling truck

Two creative Meath students will have their eye-catching artwork displayed on a Thornton"s Recycling Truck over the next year. Mark Connolly from Dunboyne Primary School and Sinead Power from St Declan"s Primary School, Ashbourne, have been announced as the joint overall winners in the 2009 Thornton"s Recycling 'Green Meath Art Competition". Mark and Sinead beat strong competition from more than 750 entries to win the joint overall prize and now their designs will be exhibited on a Thornton"s Recycling truck which will travel around Meath collecting materials for recycling. The Green Meath Art Competition was open to all Meath primary school students and its objective is to highlight the importance of recycling and protecting the environment. Younger pupils were asked to design posters with the theme 'Meath and its Environment" and senior classes were asked to depict 'The Importance of Composting" in their designs. Gary Brady, managing director of Thornton"s Recycling, said: 'The Green Meath Art Competition is an excellent way of involving local schoolchildren in the message that we should reduce waste and try to recycle as much as possible. I hope it inspires students to recycle both in school and at home and helps spread the message of how important it is to protect our environment. I would like to congratulate all entrants on their fantastic efforts and look forward to seeing the overall winning entries on the Thornton"s Recycling Meath truck.' Five young winners of the Green Meath Art Competition were announced at the Meath County Council Pride of Place Awards Ceremony, which was sponsored by Thornton"s Recycling and took place at Warrenstown College, Drumree. The awards night also celebrates those children who participated in the Pride of Place (POP) for schools competition by undertaking projects to care for their environment and bring nature, wildlife, plants into their school garden/grounds. The winner in the junior/senior infants category was Katie Curley, Duleek NS; the winner of the first/second class category was Scott Yamada-Brennan, Scoil Oilibheir Naofa, Bettystown, while Beibhinn Hickey, Dunboyne Primary School, won the section for third/fourth class. The joint fifth/sixth class winners were Sinead Power and Mark Connolly, who were also the overall winners.