Recycle-themed graphic with the text "reduce, reuse, recycle" and "we only get one earth."

3R's Art & Poetry Contest

Our goal is to engage the City of Tampa’s youth in environmental stewardship while conveying a recycling and waste reduction message.  A first-place winner will be selected from each of the following categories: Elementary, Middle, High School, and the MacDonald Training Center. The winning artwork will be displayed on a recycling collection truck for one year. The winning poetry will be on display at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park alongside the Tampa River Center Building. Plus this year's winners will receive an amazing prize package including prize money and tickets to local Tampa attractions! 

 

Eligibility and Important Dates

Eligibility Requirements

  • Students (grades 3 - 12) enrolled in a school or homeschooled within the City of Tampa limits under Tampa Solid Waste Service.
  • Clients of the MacDonald Training Center Arts Program.
  • Verify with schools list provided in the Rules & Regulations Packet link below:
    • If your school is not listed and is within City of Tampa limits, please reach out to us recycle@tampa.gov
  • Review all details within the Rules & Regulations.

Dates

  • Submission Deadline: Friday, January 29th, 2027
  • Online Voting: February 15th - 28th, 2027
  • Winners will be notified in early March and invited to a special ceremony for Earth Day in April.
  • Please review the Contest Rules & Regulations packet for more specifics and details.   
 Contest Rules & Regulations
Submission Application

2026 Art Winners

Clownfish among coral, text reads: "Plastic doesn't belong in the sea!"

Ariana - Roland Park K-8

Earth with fish, two hands, and arrows indicating a cycle labeled produce and reduce.

Bella - Howard W. Blake Highschool

Cartoon Earth with a smiling face, surrounded by arrows reading "Reduce," "Reuse," "Recycle."

Swaroopini - Roland Park K-8

A woman in a wheelchair at a recycling plant, near a bin with "Recycle" text.

Shannon - Macdonald Training Center

2026 Poetry Winners

Imagine

Henry - Roland Park K - 8


Imagine a world with no trash;

Sea creatures stuck in plastic

Wouldn’t have to thrash

We could make Earth a place

In which we could sustain;

A place where we wouldn’t have

To refrain.

We could all come to a Resolution;

And make Earth a place free of

All pollution.

We could all work together to

have a clean ocean;

It doesn’t have to be a big commotion.

And if we all pitch in to make Earth clean;

We could make the Earth once again green!

Big Beautiful Earth

Olivia - Roland Park K-8


In a world spinning round so big, so bright

It’s our job as people to do what’s right

Reduce what you use, think before you buy

It’s the least we can do, so why don’t you try?

Reuse your stuff as much as you can

Like your lunchbox and bottles or even a pan

Recycle your plastic, cardboard, and jars

So sooner or later we don’t have to live on Mars!

Earth is so beautiful and we only have one

Reduce, reuse, and recycle so we can keep having fun!

To Save the World

Christopher - Roland Park K-8


To save the world we have to do more then talk about being green.

To save the world we have to do what we mean.

Landfills will spill on the street…

use the 3Rs to keep our Earth neat.

Styrofoam, Cans, Glass and Plastic…

pileup and will become drastic.

If we don’t reuse what we have…

our future environment will be sad.

It’s not too late to start with the 3Rs...and mirth...to be

better stewards of the Earth.