PUPILS are competing to make theirs the most ecofriendly school as part of a competition to raise awareness of sustainability.

Three senior schools are working with hundreds of primary school children in a competition organised by electronics firm Sanyo, and the North-East Technology Park (NETPark), in Sedgefield, County Durham.

The Recharging the Earth contest will encourage children to consider the impact their lifestyles have on the planet.

Schools will compete by collecting used batteries and creating artwork warning what could happen in 25 years, depending on what sustainable choices are made.

Masatsugu Yamano, from Sanyo, which has sponsored the competition through the company’s Legacy Fund, said: “Although leaders around the world have realised the urgency of climate change, the onus will ultimately be on today’s children to turn back the damage tomorrow. These children will play an instrumental role in the longevity of the earth.”

Greencroft Business and Enterprise Community School in Stanley, Moorside College, in Consett, and Tudhoe Grange School, in Spennymoor, all County Durham, are the senior schools taking part.