A Tasmanian council has put its foot down on AI-generated artwork, banning it from a children’s art competition and urging kids to rely on their own creativity instead.
Kingborough Council has opened the contest to students aged four to twelve, giving them the chance to see their drawings splashed across the side of recycling trucks while promoting an important waste message.
The campaign takes aim at one of the biggest headaches for councils nationwide: people tossing recyclables into the yellow bin wrapped in plastic bags — a move that sends whole truckloads straight to landfill.
Well-meaning residents often bag up bottles, paper and cardboard before throwing them out, but council says it only sabotages recycling efforts.
“When recycling is placed in plastic bags, the entire bin’s contents may be sent to landfill, undoing the effort to recycle responsibly,” council documents warn.
The competition, which closes on September 26, asks young artists to create designs promoting the message: “Leave your recycling loose! Don’t put plastic bags in your recycling bin.”
Two winners will each score a $50 gift card and see their designs roll out on Kingborough’s recycling fleet, while four runners-up will also receive gift cards.
Winners will be announced during National Recycling Week in November.
The competition requires bright, bold A4 landscape designs that will reproduce effectively on truck surfaces.
Council is calling for bold, colourful A4 designs that will stand out on truck panels.
