Boaty McBoatface and Gritsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Anti-Slip Machinery are just some of the names that have grabbed national headlines in recent boat and grit lorry-naming competitions, but now Swindon residents are being given their chance to shine.
As part of its ongoing recycling campaign, and to create an interest in recycling in general, Swindon Borough Council is asking local people to come up with eye-catching names for four of its 13 recycling lorries.
Once the completion is finished, the names will be made into stickers which will be attached to the front of the lorries so that the name can be clearly seen by passers-by.
The competition will run from this week until October 12. The contest will be held on the Council’s official Facebook and Twitter pages and Youtube channel.
To enter, all residents need to do is submit their name choice onto the comment thread set up on the Council’s Facebook and Twitter pages, or in the comments section on the ‘Name a Recycling Lorry’ video on the Council’s Youtube channel.
Once the submission window has closed, the suggested names will be whittled down to 12 finalists, with the suggested lorry names then listed on social media and residents will be able to vote for their favourite. The four names with the highest number of votes will be emblazoned on the recycling vehicles.
Residents are encouraged to be as creative as possible when suggesting names, but no offensive or inappropriate names will be accepted. The thread will be monitored and any derogatory names will be removed.
The Council has recently begun a campaign to promote Swindon’s existing recycling service and stimulate an uptake of recycling in Swindon.
The competition as a whole aims to encourage Swindon residents to take a greater interest in recycling and try and make sure that they recycle as much as they can.
More information on what can be recycled and the best way to sort recycling can be found on the Council’s website: www.swindon.gov.uk/recycling.
Councillor Maureen Penny, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways and the Environment, said: “I am delighted to announce the launch of this wonderful competition and encourage people in Swindon to get creative and come up with the most amazing names they can think of.
“We hope this competition inspires people to take an even greater interest in recycling and encourages them to learn more. Our website is a good resource that contains lots of information about what can be recycled and is definitely worth a look.”
To find out more about the Council’s draft Waste Strategy and to take part in the online survey visit: www.sustainableswindon.co.uk
