Maine’s leader in sustainable waste management unveils ‘upcycled’ designs from Maine students, to be voted on through Earth Day

ecomaine today announced six finalists for its school-based Upcycle Challenge, which will award $500 to a participating student’s school.

The Upcycle Challenge asks students in ecomaine’s communities to use items that ordinarily would have been disposed of, to make all-new, functional ones. From 27 designs, ecomaine’s Outreach & Recycling Committee selected six finalists, based on the incorporation of post-consumer materials, the ingenuity and functionality of the new creation, inclusion of students in the process, as well as the approval from a teacher or advisor.

The finalists are:

Aurora Milton, Cape Elizabeth High School: an Upcycled Bomber Jacket made from old shirts and an old bridesmaid dress

Fiddlehead Center for the Arts, Scarborough: a working chandelier from single-use plastic bottles, bottle caps, felt, foam, and other materials

Laurel Wight, Freeport Middle School: a two piece outfit made from plastic bags and an old pillow case

The Morse High School Green Club, RSU #1: a bike rack fashioned from old, donated bicycles and a cross-country ski

Alexzandra Jewett, Saco Middle School: an end table crafted from parts from a 1989 Ford Mustang that didn’t work any longer

Lindsay Turcotte, Saco Middle School: a door hanger for coats, pet leashes, and many other items created from an old rake head

“We were floored by the creativity and resourcefulness of these students and their designs,” said Matt Grondin, ecomaine’s Communications Manager. “Narrowing them down was not an easy task, and we’re all looking forward to seeing who the winner of the 2021 Upcycle Challenge will be.”