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Pupil’s Winning Artwork Featured on Yorkshire ReFood x Meadowhall Truck

A Year 6 pupil from Retford has seen her sustainability-themed artwork brought to life after winning a competition run by Meadowhall and ReFood.

Olivia Footitt, from Ordsall Primary School, created a bright, nature-inspired illustration showing how food waste can be transformed into renewable energy. Her winning design has now been featured on a ReFood truck that will be operating across Yorkshire.

ReFood is the UK’s leading food waste recycling specialist, transforming food waste into clean energy through anaerobic digestion.

The competition invited primary school pupils from across Yorkshire to reimagine the look of ReFood’s collection vehicles while learning more about food waste recycling and its environmental impact.

As well as seeing her artwork travel across the region, Olivia received a £100 Meadowhall gift card. Ordsall Primary School has also been awarded £1,000 in book tokens from Meadowhall and ReFood to refresh its library and help encourage reading among pupils.

The initiative forms part of Meadowhall’s ongoing partnership with ReFood, which collects and recycles food waste from the centre’s restaurants and food outlets. Together, the partnership has already diverted thousands of tonnes of waste from landfill, helping to generate clean energy that powers homes and businesses across the country.

Darren Pearce, Centre Director at Meadowhall, said:
“It’s wonderful to see young people engaging with sustainability in such a creative way – Olivia’s design is a fantastic demonstration of the food waste process.

“This competition brings together two of our key priorities: supporting our local community and protecting the environment. We’re incredibly proud of the work we’ve done with ReFood over the years, and since partnering together in 2012, Meadowhall has diverted six million tonnes of food waste from landfill – helping us create a more sustainable future for our community.”

Maria L’ala, Regional Sales Manager at ReFood, added:
“We’re proud to see Olivia’s artwork representing ReFood across Yorkshire and beyond. Her design truly captures what we do and we hope it inspires other young people to think about their role in supporting a circular economy.

“Our partnership with Meadowhall demonstrates how businesses can work together to make a real difference. Every tonne of food waste we collect helps reduce carbon emissions and generates clean, renewable energy for local communities.”

The newly branded ReFood truck will now be travelling across Yorkshire, collecting food waste from businesses across the region.

Last updated Monday 30 March, 2026