Two innovative designs created by isle pupils have been used on the sides of Thanet District Council’s new state-of-the-art street sweepers.
‘Barry the Bin’ designed by Bella Rowe, age 10 and a pupil at St Lawrence College, and ‘Mr Trasher’ designed by Scott Rooney, age 6, a pupil at Cliftonville Primary School, will be a permanent fixture on each side of the four new sweepers which are now cleaning the streets across the district.
The designs were completed during an annual programme of dedicated recycling sessions run by the council and held at schools across Thanet. In addition to these two designs, a ‘Mr Climate’ design by Molly Whitnall from St Lawrence-in-Thanet CofE Junior School is set to appear on the new suite of Thanet District Council’s recycling and waste vehicles scheduled to arrive later this year. A colouring-in design by Agnese Sveda, age 10 from Drapers Mill Primary Academy will appear in a special edition recycling activity book created by the council for local schools.
State of the art
The new sweepers, which began their rounds on Monday 30 January, are tasked with covering the district’s roads and pavements. Manned by four newly trained drivers, their routes divide the Isle into segments so that as many of the streets and pavements as possible can be covered in a six weekly cycle.The sweepers have state-of-the-art specification, including wide-reaching front sweeper brushes for deeper cleaning. Inside the sweeper, an on-board screen helps drivers monitor the waste pick-up via an external camera. Finally, the compact-size of the sweepers allows access to narrow roads, whilst its four wheels can all turn together for optimum manoeuvrability.
Eye-catching
Cllr Suzanne Brimm, Cabinet Member for Operational Services, said: “These sweepers really are state-of-the-art and demonstrate our commitment to investing in the best equipment to keep Thanet clean and tidy.
“We’re delighted to have collaborated with local Thanet primary schools to help reinforce the importance of disposing litter correctly. We hope that Bella and Scott’s fantastic designs will make the sweepers eye-catching to the public and help to spread a positive ‘Keep Thanet Clean’ message from the younger generation’s eyes.”