Wilton students were invited to once again participate in the Annual Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority (HRRA) Recycling Billboard Contest. Each year, HRRA picks a theme to help raise awareness around waste and recycling issues. This year, students were asked to design a billboard encouraging residents to “Keep It Loose!” Don’t Bag or Bundle Your Recycling. Plastic bags of any kind are not acceptable in our mixed recycling system. Plastic bags clog machinery, endanger workers and are not able to be collected effectively. No resident should be bagging, bundling or boxing their recycling. Recycling should remain clean, dry and loose in your bin. To learn more visit www.HRRA.org
Wilton had 94 student entries K-12 that were first judged locally. All 1st place Wilton winners then went on to Regional Judging with the other 13 HRRA towns. Each grade level had a Regional 1st, 2nd and 3rd Place winner as well as Honorable Mention. Honorees were invited to the HRRA Regional Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, April 24th in which they received their Regional placement and award. Regional Honorable Mention winners received $10, 3rd place winners received $25, 2nd place winners $50, and 1st place winners $75. Grand Prize winners received $500.
Wilton had seven Regional winners as well as a Regional Grand Prize Winner this year!!
2nd Grader Chris Li was Wilton’s Grand Prize winner. Chris’ artwork, along with the other Regional Grand Prize winners, will be on the back of regional HartBuses starting the first week of May. All 1st place Regional winners were placed in a two-page ad in the Sunday's Danbury News Times.
The Annual HRRA Billboard Contest is open to all private, public and homeschooled students in all 14 HRRA towns. The 2025 Billboard Contest will kick off again in November 2024 so be on the lookout! As the Wilton Town Coordinator, Wilton Go Green will be making future announcements about the contest.
Watch a slideshow of the winner's artwork!
CONGRATULATIONS to all of our local and regional winners!
First Grade
1st -Leon Shih (Miller-Driscoll)
2nd - Imogen Bikel (Seven Acres Montessori)
3rd - Penny Grayson (Miller-Driscoll)
Second Grade
1st - Chris Li (Miller-Driscoll) - REGIONAL GRAND PRIZE WINNER
2nd - Grace Ginsberg (Seven Acres Montessori)
3rd - Bella Ashley (Seven Acres Montessori)
Third Grade
1st - Wesley Elizabeth Robinson (Cider Mill) - REGIONAL HONORABLE MENTION
2nd - Alice Janhavi Kotwal (Cider Mill)
3rd - Emily Geng (Cider Mill)
Fourth Grade
1st - Sahana Kaushik (Cider Mill)
2nd - Amelie Lepke-Young (Seven Acres Montessori)
3rd - Disha Avadhani (Cider Mill)
Fifth Grade
1st - Carla Rinaldi (Cider Mill)
2nd - Jack Richardson (Cider Mill
Sixth Grade
1st - Ava DiDonato - REGIONAL 3rd PLACE WINNER
2nd - Penelope Kalon
3rd - Alisa Shatilo
Seventh Grade
1st - Alex Doughman
2nd - Lizzie McGuinness
3rd - Alexander Greene
Eighth Grade
1st - Sophie Zhang - REGIONAL 2nd PLACE WINNER
2nd - Alyssa Bi
3rd - Olivia Edwards
Ninth Grade
1st - Alexa Karanikis
2nd - Leighton Graves
3rd - Daniel Hickey
Tenth Grade
1st - Evan Miller - REGIONAL 1st PLACE WINNER
2nd - Boden Davi
3rd - Grace Gordon
Eleventh Grade
1st - Gael Santos Lugo - REGIONAL 3rd PLACE WINNER
2nd - Liam Howell
3rd - Stefanos Cross
Twelfth Grade
1st - Katie Reed - REGIONAL HONORABLE MENTION
2nd - Dillon Bhutani
3rd - Danielle Westgate