Mustang Elementary, Mustang, Okla., USA, has been named grand prize winner in the Evergreen Packaging, Memphis, Tenn., USA, Made By Milk Carton Construction Contest. Evergreen Packaging, a paperboard carton manufacturer, has sponsored the competition since August 2012. The Fall 2013 theme was "Transportation." Students at Mustang Elementary were inspired by the solar system and constructed a model space shuttle called the "Apollo M.E." using more than 41,000 gable top milk cartons.
"We are amazed at the creativity and hard work students put into their carton designs," said Katie Lewis, associate marketing manager for Evergreen Packaging. "Giving the kids a hands-on challenge allows them to be responsible for their own recycling efforts in a fun way and paves the way for eco-friendly education."
The Made By Milk Carton Construction Contest encourages carton recycling and milk consumption among school-aged children. A total of 101 entries from schools across the U.S., made up of nearly 95,000 gable top milk cartons, were submitted for a chance to win up to $5,000 by having classroom teams design and construct creations made from empty school milk cartons. Each team also had to write a short essay on how their school would use the prize money, and the students at Mustang Elementary will use their $5,000 prize to purchase new gymnasium equipment for their use and the use of future students. The winning creations, as well as all submissions, are available online.
The Made by Milk program is one of Evergreen Packaging's ongoing efforts to raise awareness among consumers on the eco-friendly benefits of paper cartons. Cartons are an eco-friendly packaging choice because more than 70% of milk carton packaging is paper, made from trees, a renewable resource, the company notes. Currently, more than 56 million households in the U.S. have access to recycling programs that accept paper milk cartons.
Interested in participating in the upcoming Spring 2014 Made By Milk Carton Construction Contest? The program resumes with a new theme, "Stories!" Participants are required to use a minimum of 100 cartons to build a character, symbol, or scene from a story. Think fairy tales, epic sagas, or science fiction! Entries will be accepted now until April 16. More information, including official rules and upcoming contest details, is available online
TAPPI
http://www.tappi.org/