Belleville Youth Turns ‘Garbage’ Into Art, Wins County Contest

BELLEVILLE, NJ — A young Belleville resident recently came out on top at a county contest that aims to turn “garbage” into art – and teach a valuable lesson about environmentalism in the process.

Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. congratulated Sabrina Palmer from Belleville for winning first place in the pre-kindergarten to second grade category in the gARTbage Contest at the Essex County Environmental Center in Roseland on Monday.

According to the contest flyer:

“This g'ART'bage contest takes a creative approach to protecting our planet from plastic pollution by pulling plastics out of the waste-stream and transforming them into works of public art. Contest participants are challenged to be thoughtful and creative in crafting art made from single-use plastic garbage (non-recyclable plastics). Team and individual projects are welcome.”

The contest was open to students in multiple age groups, which spanned from pre-K to high school.

Projects were asked to be crafted to withstand the elements, as they will be showcased in an outdoor setting on the grounds of the Essex County Environmental Center.

• See Related: Essex County Artist Transforms 6,000 Water Bottles Into 'Chandeliers'

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