Danikah, a year 9 pupil at Archbishop Temple High School, won Preston City Council's competition to design artwork for one of their two new Rotopress wagons. On Wednesday 19 June, Preston City Council went along to Danikah's school to surprise her with the brand-new recycling wagon's maiden voyage and to witness the reaction of her winning design becoming a reality.
A talented art student, Danikah described how she felt seeing the Rotopress for the first time. She said, "I feel extremely proud that my design was chosen, I didn't expect to win. I thought I'd just participate, for the fun of it."
Danikah has a real passion for recycling and the importance of it, she added,"You shouldn't waste anything that's given to you, it's good to keep hold of things and reuse them."
The Mayor of Preston, Councillor Phil Crowe said, "We were really impressed by the level of entries in the competition and Danikah's design really stood out. Putting the correct items in your recycling bins is important to save valuable resources, reduce carbon emissions and send fewer items to landfill. We hope that Danikah's design will inspire residents to think before they bin and help us create a cleaner, greener Preston.”
The inspirational design, depicting items that can be recycled has given Preston City Council's new Rotopress a fresh look as well as a strong message encouraging the public to recycle their waste.
Ellie Tebbott, Waste Technical Officer at Preston City Council and one of the contest's judges, commended Danikah for taking the rotational aspect into consideration with her design, “While it was a tough decision to choose a winner, Danikah's entry was colourful, creative and relevant to Preston. She stood out by giving a lot of thought to how her design would look on the rotating wagon, as well as the importance of making sure we all recycle right."
Miss Murphy, Head of Art at Archbishop Temple, echoed how impressed she was with Danikah's artistry and attitude to recycling. She said, "I'm really proud that Danikah's talents have been recognised outside of school, in the industry that she'll hopefully enter into one day."
This is the first time Preston City Council has used a Rotopress vehicle in over twenty years. The new Rotopress is a 26 tonne vehicle with a capacity of approximately 11.8 tonnes. A standard refuse vehicle uses a blade to squash the waste into the back of the vehicle, whereas the Rotopress system works a bit like a corkscrew and the waste is rotated towards the front of the vehicle. When ejecting the waste it works in reverse, the system is good for garden waste and general waste.
The Rotopress will be gracing Preston's streets very soon and whilst educating Preston's residents about the importance of recycling, the design will also be a colourful addition to the roads.