Turn your classroom waste into a hockey-themed work of art and be eligible to win tickets to an Anaheim Ducks hockey game! Nominees must be a K-12 classroom, after-school program, club or similar (please specify in nomination entry) located in Orange County.
OC Waste & Recycling, the Anaheim Ducks Hockey Club, and Orange County Department of Education's Inside the Outdoors invite students to participate in a creative classroom art project through upcycling. Inspired by the County’s free Project Zero Waste curricula, the contest encourages young minds to turn trash into treasure while learning that most waste can be reduced, recycled, or reused through upcycling. The contest opens on October 1, 2026, and closes on November 15, 2026.
What is upcycling?
Upcycling turns clean, reusable materials such as bottles, cans, plastic containers, and cardboard into something new. Students will transform these items into a hockey-themed work of art.
This activity introduces sustainability concepts by encouraging students to reduce waste, reuse materials, and divert unnecessary waste from Orange County’s landfills.
Suggested Supplies:
• Clean recyclables (cardboard, paper tubes, plastic bottles, bottle caps)
• Old or broken sports items (hockey sticks, pucks, jerseys, laces)
• Craft materials (glue, tape, scissors, string, paint or markers)
• Found items (fabric scraps, buttons, small boxes)
Tip: Use items you already have at home or in your classroom to keep your project low-waste and creative!
Eligibility
• Participating classrooms or after-school programs must be registered for Project Zero Waste. Registration in Project Zero Waste grants access to free waste diversion curricula, implemented into the classroom at the educator's discretion.
• Register for Project Zero Waste here.
• Nominees must be a K-12 classroom, after-school program, club or similar (please specify in nomination entry) located in Orange County.
• Only submissions completed by eligible students and submitted through the designated platform will be accepted.
• No AI-generated submissions will be accepted. Judging will be focused and looking for non-AI-generated submissions that utilize the upcycling method.
• Photo and/or video submission required. We welcome photos of students and teachers alongside their works of art.
How to Enter
1. Be registered for Project Zero Waste, the County's free eco-curricula.
2. Students must submit their upcycled artwork through the submission page between October 1, 2026, and closes on November 15, 2026.
3. Contest Dates: October 1, 2026, and closes on November 15, 2026.
4. Winner Announcement: November 20, 2026 Prizes: The grand prize winner(s) will receive tickets to a home game for their classroom or club and be recognized by the Anaheim Ducks Hockey Club and OC Waste & Recycling.
How does this benefit my classroom? Winning submissions will receive Anaheim Ducks game tickets and Ducks string backpacks for the classroom. Participating classrooms or after-school programs must be registered for the County’s free Project Zero Waste curricula, which aligns with State educational standards and supports hands-on environmental learning connected to waste diversion.
This project combines creativity and classroom learning that helps students score big with sustainability!
Rights and Permissions
By submitting an entry, participants grant permission for submitted artwork, school or district names, and related materials to be used for promotional and educational purposes by OC Waste & Recycling, the Anaheim Ducks, and the Orange County Department of Education, including use on websites, social media platforms, and other outreach materials. Students will not be pictured without permission from the school.
