As Wrap’s National Recycle Week (16–22 October) rolls on, Hounslow Council has received some very special support with rebranding its waste and recycling vehicles.
Published: Thursday, 19th October 2023
This week, two competition winners – Sophie and Naomi (pictured) – from Chatsworth Primary School in Hounslow have seen drawings they created for the Council’s No Time to Waste recycling campaign installed onto vehicle panels.
Sophie and Naomi were joined at the installation’s unveiling by Councillor Guy Lambert, Hounslow Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways, Recycling and Health Integration. The Chatsworth students were deemed to have created the most innovative drawings by a panel of judges, and were selected from entries that came from primary schools across the borough.
The rebrand of the Council and Lampton Services’ vehicles comes as part of spreading awareness of the importance of waste reduction and improved recycling, and is also supporting this year’s Recycle Week theme to empower children to become active participants in building a sustainable future.
No Time to Waste launched in March 2023 and is the flagship sustainability campaign in the borough. Its mission is to support Hounslow residents with recycling more, wasting less, and reducing food bills.
Councillor Guy Lambert, Hounslow Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways, Recycling and Health Integration said:
‘I was delighted to meet both Naomi and Sophie, and better still was to see both students so happy to have their artwork installed onto our waste and recycling vehicles. Empowering young people to speak out is a hugely important part of effective climate action globally, and it will only have a positive effect on our borough too.
‘The students are brilliant examples of passionate young people in Hounslow who want to make a difference to where we live. And as Naomi so intelligently put it, if primary school children can take action to waste less and recycle more, so can most adults.
‘Personally, I knew little about recycling until my daughter came home from school 25 years ago and gave me a lecture on its importance. I have been a dedicated recycler ever since; parents will very sensibly will take more notice of their children than a councillor!’
Naomi, Chatsworth Primary School, said:
‘My inspiration to do this was my other eco-competition picture (that made me win) where I drew the world, so I wanted to include our planet in this competition too. Also, I thought about the clock hands because it means time and stands for ‘No Time to Waste’. It reminds people to recycle every hour.
‘Also, I’ve put around the world children recycling different things into the correct bins. I chose to draw children because they can show the grown-ups how to recycle properly.’
Sophie, Chatsworth Primary School, said:
‘First, I did some research for ideas to use in my poster and read a book 'How to save the planet' for ideas on how to help. After I read the book, I started my poster by drawing a hill. I drew a circle with fire coming out of it that was rolling down the hill, representing that you shouldn't throw rubbish away (in black bins if it can be recycled), and you won't be eco-friendly and protect the world.
‘Inside the circle I split it into eight groups, three of them explain the bad things you shouldn't do, and the rest explain the things you should do. I included some speech too, about how to help the world. Then I coloured it so bright.’
Selina Lane, Eco-Coordinator at Chatsworth Primary School, said:
‘As Eco-Coordinator, I am immensely proud of the effort and imagination that all the children put into their entries, and it must have been a difficult decision for the judges. Both girls are amazing ambassadors for all things green here at Chatsworth.’
Hounslow’s waste and recycling vehicles have undergone a wider rebrand as part of the No Time to Waste campaign, with panel installations of supportive residents from across the borough, as well as of useful recycling information.
- Recycling doesn’t have to be confusing. To find out what can be recycled in your area, use Recycle Now’s Recycling Locator.
- For support with waste management and for tips and advice on how to save money and improve recycling habits, residents can visit Hounslow’s No Time to Waste page.
