Schools invited to fight litter through “No MOre Trash!” contest

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News from the region
Statewide
Published Date
12/07/2011
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JEFFERSON CITY Mo – Missouri elementary, middle and home school students K-8 are invited to help in the fight against litter in the Show-Me State -- and to have creative and educational fun -- by participating in the 2012 “Yes You CAN Make Missouri Litter-Free” trash-can-decorating contest. The annual contest is sponsored by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) as part of the state’s “No MOre Trash!” campaign to raise awareness about Missouri's litter problem and to discourage littering.

The contest encourages school classes and groups to join in the fight against litter by decorating and displaying a large trash can with the “No MOre Trash!” logo and a litter-prevention message using a variety of creative media. Schools may submit one entry in each competition category: K-2, 3-5 and 6-8. Entries are judged based on creativity, adherence to contest rules and effective use of theme and logo.

“In addition to teaching kids about how litter hurts them, their families, community and the environment, first-place winners from each competition category receive $200 awarded to the sponsoring schools,” said MDC No MOre Trash! Coordinator Joe Jerek. “All first-place winners are then eligible for a grand prize of $600 awarded to the sponsoring school, and a trophy.”

Jerek added that there is no entry fee for the contest. Participating school groups must simply email a completed entry form and up to three photos of the completed trash can (with and without participating students) to nomoretrash@mdc.mo.gov. Email submissions are required. Deadline for entries is March 5.

“Littering isn’t just ugly, it hurts wildlife and the environment, it costs Missourians millions of tax dollars each year and it’s illegal,” Jerek said. He added that MDC spends almost $1 million a year to clean litter from conservation areas and other department locations and MoDOT spends more than $5 million each year cleaning litter from Missouri’s roadsides.

Contest rules, entry forms, the “No MOre Trash!” logo, past contest winners, facts on litter and educational information are available at www.nomoretrash.org. For more information email nomoretrash@mdc.mo.gov.