Oklahoma’s students invited to promote recycling in creative way, opportunity to win prizes

The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden is proud to continue its tradition of inspiring Oklahoma’s students to take artistic actions for conservation through its annual art contest with a new partner, Pepsi. The OKC Zoo and Pepsi encourage students to rally for recycling through the Pepsi Vending Machine Art Contest now through Friday, April 3, 2020. This year’s contest theme, RECYCLING: Make It Second Nature, challenges students to illustrate creative ideas for promoting recycling and how doing so can help protect and restore the planet’s natural resources.

Oklahoma students in grades K through 12 are eligible to enter through their school, home school, civic group (e.g. Scouts), or on their own. Contest designs will be judged on creativity, originality, meeting art specifications and relevance to the contest theme. Official entry forms and complete contest details are available online at okczoo.org/pepsicontest. Entries become property of the Oklahoma City Zoo and are due by Friday, April 3, 2020. The winning designs will be unveiled during the Zoo’s Earth Day celebration, Party for the Planet, on Saturday, April 25, at 2 p.m.

It’s up to all of us to care about our environmental future. As we celebrate 50 years of Earth Day this year, the OKC Zoo hopes to motivate Oklahoma’s students to become advocates for recycling through art and awareness with the Pepsi Vending Machine Art Contest. Recycling is a simple act with a global impact that every generation can support through their daily actions, and by recycling, you are contributing to the conservation our of our natural world–a plus, for all living things! Recycling helps divert recyclable trash away from landfills, conserve natural resources (trees, water, land, etc.), save energy and create jobs. Recycling also supports healthy habitats for wildlife and wild spaces. When you recycle at home, school, work or in your community it becomes second nature, creating good daily habits that will last a lifetime.

The OKC Zoo is dedicated to the preservation of wildlife and wild places through local and global conservation partnerships, education, awareness, research and in-park initiatives such as recycling. Zoo guests can help make a difference by recycling plastic water bottles, soda cans, bringing their own reusable water bottle, following the recycling signs, and packing snacks that have minimal plastic. This spring, the Zoo will become the premiere Oklahoma location to offer Pepsi’s new canned Aquafina® water! While exploring the Zoo, guests can rethink their drink and choose canned water available in select Pepsi machines on grounds.

Each of the contest’s two grand prize winners will receive a $300 gift card to a store at OKC Outlets and their design will become the cover of a Pepsi machine in the Zoo’s entry plaza for an entire year, viewed by an estimated one million Zoo guests. Winners from all award categories will receive a certificate and have their designs on display at the OKC Zoo and OKC Outlets.

Creative acts can have a big impact with the Pepsi Vending Machine Art Contest! Located at the crossroads of I-44 and I-35, the Oklahoma City Zoo is a proud member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the American Alliance of Museums, Oklahoma City’s Adventure District and an Adventure Road partner. Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Regular admission is $12 for adults and $9 for children ages 3-11 and seniors ages 65 and over. Children two and under are admitted free. Stay up-to-date with the Zoo on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and by visiting Our Stories. Zoo fans can support the OKC Zoo by becoming Oklahoma Zoological Society members at ZOOfriends.org or in-person at the Zoo! To learn more about these and other happenings, call (405) 424-3344 or visit okczoo.org.