The Department for the Environment, Heritage & Local Government has announced the winners of its rx3 ‘Trash to Cash’ competition for third level students to turn recyclable waste into new products, services or processes. Joint First Prize went to Nick Barker from Dublin for SKIP, a skipping rope made from recycled plastic bottles, and to Padraig Doyle, GMIT, Letterfrack for the Waste Share Chair made of Birch veneer sourced from spacers on pallets found in retail packaging waste.
Nick Barker and Padraig Doyle each received a prize of Eur1,250. Third Prize of Eur500 was awarded to Mark McGuinness, DIT, for Strapped For Cash, a wallet made from recycled car seat belts.
Currently, Ireland exports nearly 1,247,299 tonnes (or 73%) of the paper, plastics, glass, rubber, metals, clothing collected for recycling that could be turned into quality new products, services or processes here in Ireland. Other rx3 initiatives to stimulate markets in Ireland include funding for R&D and Feasibility Studies to be awarded in the coming weeks.
This, the second year of the Trash to Cash competition organised by rx3: rethink, recycle, remake, a Department of the Environment, Heritage & Local Government initiative, attracted entries from third level and post graduate students from all over Ireland.
CAPTION:
Pictured with Minister for Environment, Heritage & Local Government. Phil Hogan, TD are (L-R) GMIT Letterfrack student Padraig Doyle from Enniscorthy and Stillorgan student Nicholas Barker, receiving Joint First Prize in the Department of the Environment, Heritage & Local Government’s rx3 ‘Trash to Cash’ competition for third level students to turn recyclable waste into new products, services or processes.