Eight creatively named food waste collection trucks are now hitting the roads, thanks to a competition that captured the imaginations of primary school pupils.
Children from across Arun took part in the naming contest organised by Arun District Council and Biffa, jointly submitting more than 100 suggestions for the council’s new fleet of food waste vehicles.
The winning names, selected by both organisations, are: Bin Appetit, Scrap to the Future, Binderella, R2Peel2, Lettuce Recycle, The Bincredible Hulk, Truckasaurus Rex and Obi-Bin Kenobi.
Marie Pattenden, from the Biffa team in Arun, said: “The creativity from the children was fantastic and made choosing the winners really tough.
“Seeing their excitement when the trucks arrived at their schools was a great reminder of how important it is to start conversations about recycling early – and to show how everyone plays a part.”
The newly named trucks have started appearing on streets across the district, as part of Arun’s food waste collections
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Giant ‘Wes the Wasteater’ sweeper turns heads on the roads
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To celebrate the occasion, Biffa and Arun District Council visited the winning schools, giving pupils the chance to see “their” truck up close, ask questions and learn more about how leftovers are turned into electricity rather being thrown away.
Each winner received a goodie bag from Biffa and Arun District Council, and schools were also given copies of Biffa’s new Whitney The Wasteater & The Wrong Bite book to help support ongoing learning around recycling and waste reduction.
Dawn Hudd, chief executive officer at Arun District Council, said: “This is a wonderful example of how we can engage young people in important conversations about reducing waste and protecting the environment.
“The enthusiasm and imagination shown by the pupils was impressive, and it’s fantastic to see their ideas brought to life on our food waste collection trucks.
“By working with partners like Biffa, we can help our communities better understand what happens to their food waste and inspire positive habits that will make a real difference now and in the future.”
The initiative forms part of Biffa and Arun District Council’s wider work to increase recycling, reduce food waste and engage local communities in how essential waste services work.