Green Innovation Awards returns to the Northern Rivers with local schools showcasing their ideas

Students from schools across the Northern Rivers have shared their ideas at this year’s Green Innovation Awards.

The finalists from eight schools presented their ideas to the judges.

Students from St Ambrose Primary School in Pottsville say they had been working on the project for months coming up with an idea to recycle coffee cups, a problem in their local community seeing many tourists visit the region.

“For the competition we have put in our recycling bins where we put the cups in one side and the straws and lids into the other,” said year five student Evie Edwards.

“Then they’re made into new furniture. roads and bricks and also more recyclable coffee cups,” said classmate Matilda Russell.

Organiser Dr Bridie Cullinane says it’s the Award’s fifth year, returning to Whitebrook Theatre at Southern Cross University’s Lismore Campus after the pandemic took the competition virtual.

“We felt like there was a lot of focus with environmental education on what the problem is and we really thought that’s its important to shift the focus. So there’s the problem so what’s the solution?” said Dr Cullinane

Students from Tweed to Grafton submitting what they’ve been working on since Term 2, some ideas even inspired from the flood disaster.