Trash Can Contest

MoDOT sponsors the No MOre Trash! Trash-Can-Decorating Contest as part of Missouri's "No MOre Trash!" campaign to raise awareness and discourage littering. The contest encourages Missouri students to join the fight against litter by decorating and displaying a large trash can with the "No MOre Trash!" logo and a litter prevention message using a variety of creative mediums.

The 2025 contest entry form is below. Submissions are due March 14, 2025.

The Rules

Decorate a 30-gallon (or larger) trash can to be located in a prominent area of the school or community (cafeteria, gymnasium, ball field, library, church, park, etc.).
Each design must include the No MOre Trash! logo and a litter-prevention slogan. Download a black-and-white or two-color No MOre Trash! logo below.
Artistic media choices can include, but are not limited to: paint, fabric, glitter, crayon, wax, paper, photos, etc. Use of recycled materials is encouraged but not required.
No entry fee is required. Only entries submitted by Missouri schools, including home schools, will be accepted. Schools may submit one entry in each category: grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12.
Schools must submit a release form for MoDOT use of their photo(s) in the event that the school is one of the winners. Download the release form below.
Entries must consist of the completed entry form below, up to three photographs of the decorated trash can (photos must be in-focus, provide clear images of the project, and one should include participants) and the signed release form. Participants may also submit a video of the project, but it is not required.

The Prizes

The school submitting the grand prize entry will receive $600 and a trophy.
$200 will be awarded to one entry in each competition category.
The grand prize winner will have their trash can displayed at the MoDOT building on the State Fairgrounds during the State Fair in August, with permission of the winning school.
Please note: winning schools must be registered as vendors with the State to receive payment.

Downloadable Materials

No MOre Trash! Contest Release Form

2025 Winners

K-2 Grade Category

Congratulations to Shelly Jensen and her 1st graders at Immaculate Conception Catholic School in Union on winning the K-2 category for their “Critters Against Litter” entry!

"Our 1st grade students painted, cut and glued pieces of trash to create ‘critters’ of all kinds to represent their ‘Critters Against Litter: Keep the environment clean!’ project,” Jensen wrote in their submission entry.

The school will receive a check for $200 for the category win.

3-5 Grade Category

Congratulations to Bailey Wagner and her 4th grade Science Club students at Mountain View Elementary School in Mountain View on winning the 3-5 category for their “How To Train Your Trash Can” entry!

“The students used donated and recycled material to create a likeness of Toothless the dragon from the ‘How To Train Your Dragon’ movies,” Wagner wrote in their submission entry. “The entire project was a team effort, and the trashcan has been a huge success for sharing the anti-littering message with all ages of students here at Mountain View Elementary.”

The school will receive a check for $200 for the category win.

6-8 Grade Category & Grand Prize

Congratulations to Sara Hoefer and her 6-8 grade students in the East Carter R-II School District in Ellsinore on winning the 6-8 category and the grand prize for their entry, “Don’t get HOOKED on Litter.”

"After submitting various design entries, students participated in a voting process to select their favorite,” wrote Hoefer in their submission entry. “As part of this project, they organized a cleanup effort to collect trash around their campus and along a local creek, highlighting the importance of environmental stewardship. This project not only fostered creativity and teamwork but also educated students about the consequences of littering in their community.”

The school will receive a check for $200 for the category win as well as $600 and a trophy as the grand prize winner. This project will be on display in the MoDOT Highway Gardens building at this year’s Missouri State Fair in Sedalia, Aug. 7-17.

9-12 Grade Category

Congratulations to Rex Beltz and his 9-12 graders in the Glasgow School District in Glasgow on winning the 9-12 category for their “River Recycle” entry.

"The ‘River Recycle’ project is a community-focused environmental initiative designed to keep our local river clean and healthy by preventing trash from polluting its waters,” Beltz wrote in their submission entry. “These uniquely designed trash cans will encourage residents, visitors and tourists to dispose of their waste responsibly, ensuring that the river remains free from harmful trash and debris.”

The school will receive a check for $200 for the category win.