The journey of a pencil from a tree in Brazil to a compost bin in Ireland has won the Environmental Protection Agency's Story of Your Stuff competition for Iga Manulak and Emma Jackson of St Mary's College in Ballysadare, Co Sligo.
The contest asked students to illustrate the life cycle of an everyday object: where it came from, how it was used and where it was going to end up. More than 100 entries were submitted.
One of the judges, the photographer and music-video director Christian Tierney, said: "The winning entry is amazing, with some beautiful shots. The story is told in a very creative and inspiring way."
His fellow adjudicator Marcus Stewart, producer of the RTÉ series Eco Eye, said: "The winning video demonstrated brilliant artistry and creativity in delivering the message that all the products we use – even something as simple as a pencil – are sourced from materials all over the world.
“The video promotes the idea that these items should be respected during their full lifecycle and disposal. The film perfectly blends visual artistry with text and music to deliver a perfectly paced film that builds through the life cycle of the forgotten pencil. Iga Manulak and Emma Jackson are natural artists and film-makers.”
Their fellow judge Helen Bruen, of the EPA, said they were all bowled over by the research, skill, time and effort that went into each project. “Each entry is a winner if the students who took part learned something from their experience that makes them think a little more carefully about the environment and about how to use and dispose of their stuff in a sustainable way,” she said.