Rushden Lakes unveils recycled turtle sculpture and invites public to name it
Rushden Lakes has launched a public competition to name its new turtle-shaped recycling point.
Positioned along the boardwalk, the eye -catching installation forms part of Rushden Lakes’ ongoing commitment to enhancing sustainability and reducing waste across the site.
The turtle sculpture, which arrived last month, has been expertly crafted from recycled materials, including aluminium and RecyPrint - a PET based material created from recycled plastic bottles.
These bottles are sorted by colour, ground into flakes and transformed through 3D printing technology.
Except for the camo netting, the entire structure is made from recycled components and every element is fully recyclable.
Visitors and members of the local community are encouraged to play their part in tackling plastic waste by depositing their used plastic bottles at the installation.
All collected bottles will then be donated to a local school, where they will be repurposed into creative art projects to be showcased at Rushden Lakes.
Donna French, Rushden Lakes centre manager said: “We’re incredibly proud to welcome the innovative turtle recycling point to Rushden
Lakes.
"There’s only around ten of these recycling points across UK, with most installations taking the form of a fish or whale, so ours feels truly unique and special for our community.
"It’s a creative and engaging way to encourage people to recycle, while supporting our wider mission to make the destination even greener and more efficient.
"We can’t wait to see the imaginative name suggestions that come in via our competition – good luck!”
To celebrate the arrival of the new resident, Rushden Lakes is inviting the public to submit imaginative name suggestions via the online entry form by 6pm on Friday, February 20.
One prize bundle is up for grabs, including £200 worth of physical gift cards for Rushden Lakes brands, a cuddly Thimble Turtle Jellycat and a WWF ‘Adopt A Sea Turtle’ package in the winner’s name.
Following the competition deadline, a small judging panel will review all eligible entries against set criteria.
The chosen name will be displayed on a plaque on the turtle, along with the winner’s name.
Full terms and conditions are available on the Rushden Lakes website.