In the past, we’ve seen a working chandelier made from old plastic bottles, a bike rack made from, well…bikes, clothing made out of plastic, hair scrunchies made from old clothing, clothing made from old curtains, furniture from old tires, and movie projectors made from all kinds of would-be-junk materials!
Find items that would normally be thrown away and create an all-new, super-useful invention from them!
Students have until October 30th to submit their upcycled inventions via the form below.
Finalists will be chosen by ecomaine’s Outreach & Recycling Committee based on the following criteria:
- Incorporation of post-consumer materials (must be a majority of materials used)
- Ingenuity and functionality of a new “upcycled” invention (must be an entirely new item – though we encourage repair and reuse, this is the Upcycle Challenge!)
- Inclusion of students in the design and construction process
- School (teacher, coach, administrative) leadership and approval
- Submissions must be from a K-12 school in one of ecomaine’s member communities to be considered.
Finalists are voted on online November 14th.
Baxter Academy and Sandra O’Hara won 2023’s Upcycle Challenge for their design of jellyfish and towel and rack. Congratulations to all our finalists!
Winner 2023
Baxter Academy Upcycled Jellyfish