Young artists are being challenged to help spread the word about one of East Durham’s biggest environmental problems.
District of Easington Council and District of Easington Youth Forum are asking secondary school pupils to design a mug reminding residents of the importance of disposing of litter responsibly.
The district council is already reducing litter levels with the introduction of new clean and green teams and the issuing of fines to anyone caught dropping litter, but is also calling on residents to play their part.
Ian Hoult, Environmental Services Manager, said: “It can cost local councils up to £300,00 each year to collect and dispose of litter, with school litter being one of the biggest problems.
“Hopefully, by encouraging young people to think about the consequences of dropping litter we can go some way towards tackling the problem.”
Two winners will receive a 4GB ipod nano and have their design printed on 100 promotional mugs.
Entries should be A4 landscape and can be hand-drawn, painted or computer generated.
General information on how to enter the competition is being distributed to secondary schools in the district, however, more information is available by contacting Steve Clark, Youth Strategy Officer, on (0191) 527 0501. Closing date is Monday, 26 May.
Anyone caught dropping litter will be given an £80 fixed penalty notice or a fine of up to £2,500 if the case goes to court.