The City of Ballarat is inviting school students to turn their imagination into moving masterpieces with a competition to design artwork for two waste collection vehicles.
The competition calls on students to create original artwork that will encourage the community to use their kerbside bins correctly - whether showing what goes in which bin or reminding people why sorting waste matters.
The City of Ballarat launched the art competition at the Caledonian Primary School which won the City of Ballarat's first Waste Super Sorter Competition.
The competition marks the four-month countdown until the introduction of the new FOGO (Food Organics and Garden Organics) and glass recycling kerbside collections which will begin from Monday 3 November, 2025.
City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Tracey Hargreaves said the competition is a creative way to spread an important message.
"This is a unique opportunity for our young people to see their artwork come to life - not just as a drawing on paper but as a message to the entire community, wrapped around a waste collection vehicle," she said.
"Young people are often the ones teaching their parents about recycling and sustainability.
"This gives them a platform to inspire real change in a way that's colourful and fun."
Caledonian Primary School Principal, Ben Moody said the students were excited to be involved.
"The Waste Super Sorter Competition was a wonderful opportunity for our students to gain real world understanding of sustainability and bring that knowledge back into our school setting," he said.
Entry is open to all students who live or attend school in the City of Ballarat municipality. The competition includes a category for primary school students and a separate category for secondary school students.
The new artwork for the two City of Ballarat waste collection vehicles will be unveiled in the lead up to the rollout of the FOGO and glass kerbside services later this year.
Competition entries will be shortlisted by a panel of staff from the City of Ballarat's Waste and Environment team, with the final winners judged by a panel of Councillors.
The winners will be offered a photo opportunity at the unveiling of their artwork on a waste collection vehicle. The chosen artwork will be displayed for a minimum of 12 months.
To enter, download either the paper or digital submission templates at ballarat.vic.gov.au/get-ready-your-fogo-and-glass-bins or collect the paper template at Customer Service at the Phoenix Building, 25 Armstrong Street South.
Submissions close Sunday 24 August 2025.
For the latest updates about waste and recycling, download the Ballarat Waste app via the App Store or on Google Play.
