Benjamin N. Cardozo High School from Bayside, New York has been named the grand prize winner in Evergreen Packaging's Made By Milk Carton Construction Contest.

Evergreen Packaging, Memphis, Tenn., has sponsored the competition since August 2012. The contest theme for Spring 2014 was "Stories." Students were encouraged to build characters, symbols, or scenes from their favorite fairy tale. The winning school used 1,250 recycled cartons to recreate a scene from Alice in Wonderland, titled "Alice and Absolem's Milk Made Hideaway." The creation included a life-size replica of Alice, Absolem the Caterpillar and the Cheshire Cat.

Ninety-eight entries from schools across the United States submitted their recycled milk carton designs for a chance to win up to $5,000. Each team was required to write a short essay on how the prize money would be used. Extra points were given if the prize money went towards eco-friendly practices. Benjamin N. Cardozo High School plans to use their grand prize winning money to fund recycled art classes at the school. To see the winning creations, as well as all spring 2014 submissions, visit www.madebymilkcontest.com/see-entries.

The Made by Milk program is one of Evergreen Packaging's ongoing efforts to raise awareness among consumers on the eco-friendly benefits of paper cartons. Cartons are an eco-friendly packaging choice because more than 70% of milk carton packaging is paper, made from trees, a renewable resource. Currently, more than 57 million households in the United States have access to recycling programs that accept paper cartons, according to Evergreen.

Several other schools were recognized across various categories for their innovative and creative carton designs. They include:

People's Choice Winner:

• DeQueen Middle School, DeQueen, Arkansas; "Einstein"

Elementary School Winners:

• Stevens Creek Elementary School, Martinez, Georgia; "The Very Hungry Caterpillar"
• Mustang Elementary School, Mustang, Oklahoma; "Smaug"
• Bruce Guadalupe Community School, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; "Yum Kaax – Mayan God of Corn"

Middle School Winners:

• Camden Middle School, Camden, New York; "Lady and The Tramp"
• Ringgold Middle School, Ringgold, Georgia; "The Adventures of Dr. Seuss"
• Greenwood School, Greenwood, Missouri; "E"moo"rald City"

High School Winners:

• College, Career, & Technology Center, Pharr, Texas; "Catching Fire"
• Paulsboro High School, Paulsboro, New Jersey; "Star Wars Star Destroyer"
• Washington County High School, Washington, Kansas; "Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum"

Entries for the Fall 2014 Made By Milk Carton Construction Contest themed "Sculptures" will be accepted through November 19th, 2014. Schools interested in participating should visit www.madebymilkcontest.com for official rules and upcoming contest details.

SOURCE: Evergreen Packaging