Students share €1300 in prizes in Offaly firm's recycling competition

Rather than choosing three winners of Tullamore-based KMK Metals Recycling’s International E-Waste Day colouring competition, as planned, the response and standard of entries was so high that the company decided to choose 13 winners, with a total prize fund of €1300.

International E-Waste Day has been held every year on October 14  since 2018 to raise awareness about the growing e-waste issue and to promote responsible e-waste management. Under the slogan “You can recycle anything with a plug, battery or cable!” this edition highlighted the issue of invisible e-waste, that goes unnoticed due to its nature or appearance, leading consumers to overlook its recyclable potential.

KMK Metals Recycling designed a colouring competition aimed at local schools which also contained activities to encourage children to find the hidden e-waste. One winner was to be chosen from each age category, 4-6, 7-9 and 10-12, to receive a €100 One4All gift card. On Friday 13th October, our judges were joined by RTÉ’s Midlands Correspondent, Sinead Hussey, who helped them to choose 13 lucky winners. RTÉ were on site to film a piece for the Six One news about International E-Waste Day.

Max Kyck, General Manager of KMK Metals Recycling, said: “We were blown away by the response to our International E-Waste Day colouring competition, with hundreds of entries coming in and a really high standard across all the age categories. We were so impressed that we decided to pick an extra 10 winners. Children are the future, and we really want to get the message across to younger people that recycling e-waste and recovering the precious materials within is vitally important.  Children are often more clued in that adults and they can be the catalysts for change. The aim of this competition was to encourage kids to go home from school on a mission to search for the hidden or invisible e-waste which is in all our homes, knowing they are making a real difference.”

The winners of the International E-Waste Day colouring competition are:

Age 4-6 category

Aidan from Scoil Chartaigh Naofa, Rahan

Conor from Scoil Bhride Ballyboy

Anna from Ardnagrath national school, Walderstown, Athlone

Age 7-9 category

Catalina from Scoil Mhuire Senior, Newbridge

Daithi from from Scoil Chartaigh Naofa, Rahan

Leah from St Colman’s NS, Mucklagh

Blathnaid from Scoil Bhride Ballyboy

Priya from St. Philamena’s Tullamore

Eva from Ardnagrath national school, Walderstown, Athlone

Age 10-12 category

Jessica / Leanna (tie) from Scoil Bhride Ballyboy

Hanna from Scoil Chartaigh Naofa, Rahan

Hunter from St Colman’s NS, Mucklagh

Eabha from Ardnagrath national school, Walderstown, Athlone