PORTLAND — In keeping with ecomaine’s continuing the success of its inaugural “Upcycle 2020” Challenge, it will continue its upcycling invention contest for students to compete for a $500 prize for their school’s green team, STEM club, or project graduation. 

Last year, the Challenge saw entries like: hair scrunchies made from old clothing, furniture made from old tires, and movie projectors made from all kinds of would-be-junk materials.  The Upcycle Challenge invites students to find items that would normally be thrown away and create an all-new, super-useful invention from them.

“The first year was even more successful than we could have hoped,” said Matt Grondin, ecomaine’s Communications Manager, in a ecomaine news release.  “And while we realize that schools are challenged by the pandemic and uncertainty, our aim this year is to provide an activity that promotes creative thinking about our waste materials, and that can be achieved with teachers’ support, no matter the setting.”

Students will have until March 19, 2020 to unveil their upcycled inventions, either by sending their submission as a document, photo, or video, to ecomaine.

Finalists will be chosen by ecomaine’s Outreach and Recycling Committee based on the following criteria:

Incorporation of post-consumer materials
Ingenuity and functionality of a new “upcycled” invention
Inclusion of students in the design and construction process
School (teacher, coach, administrative) leadership and approval
 

Finalists will then be selected by popular vote on social media by Earth Day 2020.

About ecomaine

ecomaine is the Portland-based nonprofit, recycling and waste-to-energy operation that serves a third of the state’s population in 70 member communities.  ecomaine reaches more than 50,000 people through educational outreach, including School Recycling Grants, eco-Excellence Awards, its Recycling is a Work of Art painting contest, as well as tours, activities, presentations, and tables at events.