Highland Waste Aware Mascot Named

A pupil at Kyle Primary School has won a Highland-wide competition to name Highland Council’s Waste Aware Highland mascot – a highland cow.

Thomas Gardener came up with the name “Compost” which the judges thought aptly tied in with the ethos of the Waste Aware Highland campaign. The Waste Aware Highland Campaign is designed to support the Highland-wide recycling services, encouraging householders to recycle their waste.  In addition to this, the Waste Aware Highland team are also promoting other waste minimisation activities, such as home composting. 

Compost will appear in schools throughout the Highlands as the Council’s Waste Awareness Team in TEC Services tries to get the message across to school children to ‘Reduce Reuse Recycle’. The mascot will also appear at Waste Awareness events at the Black Isle Show and other community events.

While taking Compost on tour, the Waste Awareness Team will deliver waste education sessions in schools, carry out waste audits and will also help to set up composting systems in schools.

Kyle Primary School received the first visit from Compost today and Primary 6/7 class joined in with a waste aware activity session. Local Highland Councillor William Fulton presented Thomas Gardener with a certificate and a cheque for £150 for the school.

Councillor Fulton said: “Well done to Thomas and Kyle Primary School for winning the name-the-mascot competition. Although this is a bit of fun, it helps to get a very serious message across about waste awareness”

Councillor John Laing, Chairman of the Council’s Skye and Lochalsh Area TEC Servcies Committee said: “Compost Cow will be a great medium, through which we can communicate the waste awareness message, to our young people.”

The cow mascot was designed by Highland-based illustrator Karen Sutherland.