Do you love to turn items that have outlived their purpose into something new? We are looking for St. Croix County residents to submit photos of items they have kept out of the landfill and have been given another life. This can be done through repair, refurbishing, and repurposing. Get creative and show us what you’ve got! You will be entered to win prizes and have your project highlighted on the Recycling Facebook Page and Newsletter.
How it Works
Photos must be submitted by July 31. St. Croix County will upload our 3 favorite photos to our Recycling Facebook page to let our followers decide the winner. Each “like” will be considered a vote in favor of that photo. Other reactions or comments will not count as votes. Votes will be counted by the end of the week that the photos are posted. In the event of a tie, St. Croix County will pick the winner.
The winner will receive:
- 1-hour watercraft rental at Glen Hills or Homestead County Parks (park pass needed for entry)
- Lunch cooler with mug and re-useable food storage bag.
- Recycling magnet, highlighter, and seed packets.
How to Enter
- Send your photo entries to kris.poston@sccwi.gov by July 31. Only emailed photos will be accepted.
- The email subject name must be 2023 Recycling Re-Use Challenge
- Provide the following in your email:
- Name, Address, and Phone Number.
- Before and after photos of your project.
- Include a short story about your project. We would like to know:
- Why did you decided to keep it from the landfill?
- What supplies did you use?
- How long did it take?
- How is it being used now?
Rules
- You must be 18 years of age or older to participate.
- St. Croix County government employees cannot participate.
- Participants can only submit 2 sets of before and after re-use projects during the contest.
- Photos must be submitted electronically to the email address above.
- Do not submit photos that:
- Are taken by someone else.
- Are of another person’s project.
- Have a copyright or watermark.
- Picture adults or children.
Use of Photographs
By participating in the St. Croix County Recycling Re-Use Challenge, you are acknowledging that the photos you submit were taken by you of your project and they do not have an attributed copyright. Through the submission of your photos, you grant St. Croix County the right to use and retain the photos, without payment, as follows:
- Use of the photograph on the internet, social media, and in printed publications in support of St. Croix County’s mission.
- As conditions of this permission, St. Croix County shall credit all photographs with photographer's name when and wherever used. If you do not want your name associated with the photograph, please note this request in the email when the photograph is submitted.
Questions
Questions about the contest can be emailed to kris.poston@sccwi.gov.
Need inspiration? Check out the examples below.
Examples
Solar Lights and Stakes
St. Croix County Recycling Specialist, Kris Poston, had a few dozen solar lights that would no longer charge that seemed a shame to throw away. She drilled holes in the metal stakes, ran fishing line through them, added buttons as weights, and used them as wind chimes in an old window frame that still had a few panes of decorative glass. She combined and glued the decorative crackle-glass solar light globes into candle and flower vase center pieces, adding glass pebbles into the hub. They can be turned one way for votive candles or turned upside down for use as flower vases.
- Disassembly time = 1 hour
- Drilling holes in stakes = ½ hour
- Hanging the wind chimes = ½ hour
- Gluing glass globes = 10 mins/centerpiece
- Drying time = overnight
Re-Upholstered Footstool
Know someone who is disposing of furniture? When a friend of our Recycling Specialist had thrown an old footstool in the trash, she brought it back to life with some creativity and 2 hours of work.
- Removed the old fabric = ½ hour
- Used it as a pattern to cut a scrap of faux leather = 15 mins
- Cleaned and oiled the wooden legs = 15 mins
- Stretched and stapled the new fabric = 30 mins
- Finished the circumference with decorative leaf ribbon = 15 mins
- Embellished with vintage upholstery tacks = 15 mins
More Information
You can find more information about recycling, local resources, and upcoming collection events on the St. Croix County Recycling Page.