Schools around the island are participating in the Keep Bermuda Beautiful (KBB) project, also known as the School Bins Art Project.

The project is sponsored by the Waste Management section of the Ministry of Works & Engineering and KBB. Each of the 20 schools that participated in this event had to decorate two bins.

One bin is to be used for recycling, while the other is to be used for trash.

The bins will initially be used at the Annual Exhibition in the Botanical Gardens, but will ultimately be returned to the schools to help keep their grounds beautiful.

To get a better idea of the motivation behind their participation, Young Observer visited Dellwood Middle School and Bermuda High School for Girls. Dellwood Middle School students Michael Swan, Shani Simmons, and Jesse Tucker shared their reasons for deciding to help their school with the KBB project.

Shani Simmons mistook the KBB project for gardening club at her school, but she found it quite enjoyable, so she stayed. Michael Swan was inspired by Disney Channel Friends for Change to join in on the KBB project, to try and make a change. Jesse Tucker just wanted to help the environment.

They hoped that through the KBB project they would "make an impact on Bermuda, influence other people to recycle and take better care of our environment".

After the barrels are returned to Dellwood, they will be used for recycling, and trash.

The students and their group leader, Dr. Lewis, and other adults supervising stated that they are very proud of how their bins have turned out so far.

They stated that they don't really have a theme for their bins, "Everyone contributed ideas, and from there they just winged it, and got very creative. They worked very hard on their bins, and from what I've seen, all their hard work wasn't wasted."

At BHS a variety of Year 6 students from all three forms helped with little pieces of the paintings during their project work and art lessons each day. The bins were completed slowly over a three-week time period.

Student Lilian Ritchie explained that the students found out about the KBB project when their substitute teacher informed them about the event and how the barrels were going to be used at the Annual Exhibition.

Lillian Griffith believed that, "This project will help people think about disposing their trash responsibly. And treating our environment with better care."

Kalir Stevens was very excited that people will get to view their bins at the Exhibition; she felt that all of their hard work really paid off.

After the Exhibition, their bins will be collected and placed on their school's playground as trash bins.

The students have used a Charley Harper motif. Harper was a famous artist who loved to paint birds in a simple style.

"On our recycle bin we have followed a garden motif. Our inspiration for this bin was the book "The Kapok Tree," stated Louisa Graham-Taylor.

"I think that the bins look very beautiful because we put a lot of time and effort into them. My favourite is the bird bin," declared Ashley Farrington.

The schools participating in the project were BHS, Clearwater Middle School, East End Primary, Elliot Primary, Dellwood Middle School, Gilbert Institute, Heron Bay Primary, Learning Express Academy;

Mount Saint Agnes Academy, Paget Primary, Purvis Primary, Saltus Cavendish, Sandys Middle School, Somerset Primary, Somersfield Academy, St. David's Primary, T. N. Tatem Middle School, West End Primary, Whitney Middle School.

Each of these schools put a lot of effort into designing their bins, and their hard work has paid off. You can view these bins at The Annual Exhibition.