Hundreds of young Australians took up the challenge to inspire recycling action by creating an artwork and entering a national student competition, sponsored by the non-profit organisation MobileMuster.
This year, students could enter a photograph, drawing or short film, for their chance to win, with two $5,000 first prizes and six finalists each receiving $1,000.
Thomas Klebanowski, a Year 9 student from Camberwell Grammar School in Melbourne, and Ava Laurance, a Year 5 student from South Padbury Primary School in Perth, were awarded $5,000 each for their winning entry in the national Mobile Muster Student Creative Competition.
“It’s inspiring to see young Australians addressing care for the environment, e-waste and recycling in such clever ways. Both Ava’s one-minute film Don’t be Selfie-ish and Thomas’ We Need to Talk are brilliant and deserving winners,” a spokesperson said.
The six finalists were:
Photography
Primary school finalist: Claire Crane, Phillip Island Village School, Victoria
Secondary school finalist: Karl Lang, Victor Harbor High, South Australia
Drawing
Primary school finalist: Genevieve Niralya Sebastian, Wishart State School, Queensland
Secondary school finalist: Evelyn Small, St Luke’s College, Western Australia
Short Film
Primary school finalist: Isla Kanaan, Clifton Hill Primary School, Victoria
Secondary school finalist: Sienna Barry, Chancellor State College, Queensland
Watch Ava’s short film ‘Don’t Be Selfie-ish‘ and Thomas’ short film ‘We Need to Talk’:
The six finalists’ entries can be viewed here.
MobileMuster has been helping Australians recycle their mobile phones for 25 years, tackling the ever-growing problem of electronic waste. Educating the next generation of environmentally conscious consumers is one of MobileMuster’s core objectives, so in 2019 they launched a national film competition for students of all ages. This year the competition was expanded to include photography and drawing.
MobileMuster encourages consumers to think about the full lifecycle of a mobile phone through repair, reuse and then recycling when they have reached the end of their useful life. The MobileMuster Student Competition gives young Australians the chance to explore important messages about looking after the environment, recycling more and at the same time conserving precious resources.
About MobileMuster
Established in 1998, MobileMuster is the product stewardship program of the Australian mobile phone industry, accredited by the federal government. It provides a free mobile phone recycling program throughout Australia to the highest environmental standard. It is committed to raising awareness of mobile phone recycling and encouraging more Australians to play their part by repairing, reusing or recycling their old mobile phones and accessories.
