Young eco-activists help transform Hounslow recycling fleet

Two competition winners – Sophie and Naomi –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.

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.

Naomi, Chatsworth Primary School, said:‘My inspiration to do this was my other ecocompetition picture (that made me win) where I drew the world, so I wanted to include our planet in this competition too. ‘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.’

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.

‘And as Naomi so intelligently put it, if primary school children can take action to waste less and recycle more, so can most adults!’