Youth Art on Display
The Rethink Waste Project kicked off recently with the opening of The Art of Recycling youth art project at the Bend Fall Festival.
The Art of Recycling is an upcycled community art project featuring the words RETHINK WASTE. Each letter utilizes a specific discarded, leftover or common item, including plastic bags, wine corks and plastic bottle caps. Each letter was collaboratively crafted by youth groups who worked on one or two letters for the project. Youth from the Redmond Boys & Girls Club, Rimrock Expeditionary Alternative Learning Middle Schools (REALMS), Riverbend Middle School and the Downtown Bend Boys & Girls Club participated in this project.
“We have enjoyed being a part of the Rethink Waste Project,” said Derek Beauvais, program director at the Downtown Bend Boys & Girls Club. “This project has enabled us to provide a creative and educational opportunity for our Club Members to get involved in environmental issues that affect our community. Without support from community organizations like The Environmental Center, programs like this would not be possible.”
“There really is an art to recycling. As we continue to fill our lives with more and more stuff, we have to get creative when we think about what happens to its end life,” said Denise Rowcroft, sustainability educator with The Environmental Center.
“The Art of Recycling project engages people to both think about what happens to the little trash that adds up out of sight, and to Rethink Waste in their daily lives. As a result we hope people will visit RethinkWasteProject.org to get more information on ways to Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rethink.”
The Art of Recycling will be on display at the Bend Public Library for the remainder of October and the Redmond Public Library during November.
Rethink Waste is a program of The Environmental Center in partnership with Deschutes County Department of Solid Waste, Bend Garbage & Recycling, Deschutes Recycling, High County Disposal and Cascade Disposal.
Rethink Waste Project:
The Rethink Waste Project is an initiative to raise awareness about the impact of waste in our community and to engage individuals, families and businesses in reducing, reusing and recycling waste.
Our educational-based programs provide the tools and resources you need to reduce waste – and rethink the way you think about waste.
The Environmental Center:
The Environmental Center educates and advocates for a sustainable future in Central Oregon, and believes that sustainability hinges on how we live our daily lives: at home, at school and at work. The Center’s focus areas include educating kids, promoting zero waste, supporting local businesses, and promoting energy efficiency and renewables. To learn more about The Environmental Center, visit online at www.envirocenter.org or at the facility: 16 NW Kansas Avenue in downtown Bend.
