Brightening the WORLD!

Celebrate Earth Day with the Meridian Waste Children’s Coloring Contest

Help brighten the world by coloring and creating your vision of the provided coloring sheets. Earth Day is a day that was created to promote awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s environment and occurs each year on April 22. By keeping the environment clean & green through proper waste management, you too can do your part for the planet!

Let’s Celebrate Earth Day!

Enter Coloring Contest Recipes, Crafts, Books and Tips

Download, print, and get creative with your coloring skills:

Color until your heart is content! In the spirit of sustainability, no need to crumble up your paper and start over if you think you made a coloring mistake. Make it work - turn that scribble outside of the lines into a tree or vine. Get creative with your coloring vision.

Below are the downloadable coloring pages. (11’ x 8.5” – letter sized paper) for our coloring contest per age group. Have fun creating your work of art and have your parent/guardian help you to submit your final artwork including the submission information form below.

Ages 3-4 Coloring Template

CLICK HERE to download PDF

Ages 5-7 Coloring Template

CLICK HERE to download PDF

Ages 8-10 Coloring Template

CLICK HERE to download PDF

Thank you for participating in the Meridian Waste Earth Day Coloring Contest!

We’re excited to see the artwork of our entrants and look forward to announcing the contest winners on April 22, 2026. To submit your entry, please review the Official Rules & Regulations, and fill out the form below. Don’t forget to upload your artwork!

Note: By submitting your artwork, contestant and contestant’s legal parent or guardian agrees to all the rules and regulations of this contest and to the photo / reproduction release.

By clicking here, contestant and contestant’s legal parent or guardian agrees to all the Official Rules & Regulations of this contest and to the photo/reproduction release listed therein.

The contestant and contestant’s legal parent or guardian expressly agree to the terms and conditions of the Photo and Marketing Release.

Tell us about the artist:

Name *

Last Initial *

City *

State *

Age of artist *

Artwork Category:

Ages 3-4

Ages 5-7

Ages 8-10

Upload your JPG or PDF here

*The winner's prize will be mailed to the address detailed below:

Parent/Guardian First Name *

Parent/Guardian Last Name *

Street Address *

City *

State *

Zip Code *

Email *

Phone Number *

How did you hear about the contest? *

What color is the sun? *

By clicking here, contestant and contestant’s legal parent or guardian agrees to all the Official Rules & Regulations of this contest and to the photo/reproduction release listed therein.

The contestant and contestant’s legal parent or guardian expressly agree to the terms and conditions of the Photo and Marketing Release.

Submit

The contest is now open

Submissions must be received by April 13, 2026, at 11:59 PM EDT for the Brightening the World Earth Day Coloring Contest. Winners will be announced on April 22, 2026.

Prize Packages

First (1st) Place:

Garbage truck plaque with winner's name and age category (photo may be included)
Personalized t-shirt showcasing the winning artwork
First (1st) place ribbon
Gift card
Artwork featured on our website and included in the press release
Ultimate bragging rights

Second (2nd) Place:

Garbage truck plaque with winner's name and age category (photo may be included)
Personalized t-shirt showcasing the winning artwork
Second (2nd) place ribbon
Gift card
Artwork featured on our website and included in the press release
Bragging rights

Third (3rd) Place:

Garbage truck plaque with winner's name and age category (photo may be included)
Personalized t-shirt showcasing the winning artwork
Third (3rd) place ribbon
Gift card
Artwork featured on our website and included in the press release
Bragging rights

The Meridian Waste team will carefully review all submissions and select three (3) winners from each age category for a grand total of nine (9) winners. Winners will be announced on our website by noon EDT on April 22, 2026. Each winner will receive one prize package, which will be mailed after April 22, 2026.

15 Things You Can Do To Protect The Earth

LOVE YOUR MOTHER – MOTHER EARTH!

It's Earth Day!

Reduce, reuse, recycle - protect the planet - plant more trees - live sustainably. Check out the ideas below to make the earth cleaner and greener this Earth Day and always!

Did you know?

According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, "the first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970, when San Francisco activist John McConnell and Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson separately asked Americans to join in a grassroots demonstration. Dealing with dangerously serious issues concerning toxic drinking water, air pollution, and the effects of pesticides, an impressive 20 million Americans—10% of the population—ventured outdoors and protested together."

Recipes

Earth Food

Earth Day Cupcakes

Garden Flower Graham Crackers

Earth Day Charcuterie Board

Green Crafts

Recycled Bottle Planters

Supplies:

Empty Plastic Bottles (water or soda bottles work great)
Scissors
Paint or Markers
Soil
Seeds (grass seeds or small flowers are perfect)

Directions:

Cut the bottle in half - keep the bottom part
Create small drainage holes in the bottom of the bottle
Decorate the exterior using paint or markers
Fill the bottle with soil and plant seeds
Water seeds regularly!

Credit: Pawsomeverse.com

Recycled Paper Earth

Supplies:

Old newspaper
Water
Blender
Food Coloring
Strainer
Paper Towels
Pan or Dish
Oven

Directions:

Cut up about a cup of newspaper into small strips
Add the paper strips and half a cup of water into a blender. Blend the paper into a pulp.
Pour this material into your strainer to drain the excess water. Use a spoon to press the pulp against the screen
Place the circle of pulp onto a pile of paper towels and place in an oven-safe pan/dish
Add drops of green and blue food coloring so your circle resembles Earth
Place the pan into the oven preheated to 200 degrees. Heat for 4 hours or until dry and hard.
Trim the edges of your paper Earth

Credit: Little Bins for Little Hands

Bubble Paint Flowers

Ingredients:

White Cardstock, construction paper or watercolor paper
A straw
A dish with low sides or pie pan
Green constriction paper or green watercolor paints for leaves
Scissors
White glue
Non-toxic acrylic paint
Non-toxic dish soap
Water

Directions:

In shallow pan, mix bubble paint with 1 part paint, 1 part dish soap and 2-3 parts water
Use the straw to blow bubbles into the mixture
When you have a large clump of bubbles, place the white paper gently on the top of the bubbles, but do not let it touch the paint mix below
Put multiple bubble circles on one page or cut out and glue onto a new page
Use green paper or watercolors to add leaves to your flowers

Credit: A Piece of Rainbow

Green Books To Read

Check out your local library, or trade books with a friend! Here are some ideas:

Nate the Great and the Earth Day Robot

by Andrew Sharmat

The Night Before Earth Day

by Natasha Wing

Biscuit's Earth Day Celebration

by Alyssa Satin Capucilli

Recycling Day: What Happens to the Things We Throw Away

by Polly Faber

Hooray, It's Garbage Day

by Eric Ode

Backpack Explorer: On The Nature Trail: What Will You Find?

by Storey Publishing

Green Activities

Get outside and enjoy Mother Earth!

Go on an egg carton scavenger hunt!

Grab an egg carton and fill each space with something from nature - think a flower, rock, pinecone, leaf, feather, acorn, etc.

Go for a hike!

Check local websites for a list of trails in your area. Use search words like "hiking trails or city/county parks near me"

Trash Clean-up!

Grab a trash bag and some gloves and take a walk around your neighborhood and beautify your local roads

Explore your town by bike!

Use key words like "Bike paths near me" to search for areas to explore by two wheels

Create a composting pile!

Check out this link for more information on how to compost at home

Make a homemade bird feeder!

The link will take you to a site with more than 20 ideas of bird feeders you can make with items you likely already have at home!

Use a free printable to do an Earth Day Scavenger hunt in your own backyard!

Plant seeds for pollinators in your area!

Check out the information below from Pollinator Partnership

What Are Pollinators? Birds, bats, butterflies, moths, flies, beetles, wasps, small mammals, and most importantly, bees are pollinators. They visit flowers to drink nectar or feed off pollen and transport pollen grains as they move from spot to spot.

Why Is Habitat Creation For Pollinators Important? Improved pollinator habitats can increase the presence of native pollinators on working vegetable, fruit, and grain farmland. This can improve farm viability and climate change resilience. Climate change is causing more frequent and erratic weather extremes, such as drought and intense rain events.

Learn More About Pollination by watching this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TreF11iuLc

Do you know What to Plant for Pollinators In Your State? Visit the link below!

https://xerces.org/pollinator-conservation/pollinator-friendly-plant-lists

Conservation Tips

Here is a list of ideas for ways you can practice conservation from howstuffworks:

Conserve Water
Be Car-conscious
Walk, Bike or take Public Transit
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Switch to LEDs
Live Energy Wise
Eat Sustainable Foods
Plant a Tree
Give Up Plastics

To Learn more about Earth Day, visit https://www.almanac.com/content/earth-day-date-activities-history

Official Contest Rules & Regulations

This coloring contest is a fun way to engage children on Earth Day. This contest is intended for children ages 3-10 who are split into three age categories. Coloring pages per age category can be downloaded from the Meridian Waste website.
There will be three (3) winners per age category (placed 1st, 2nd & 3rd); nine (9) winners total. Winners will be chosen by Meridian Waste staff and announced on the website on April 22, 2026, by NOON EDT.
This is a skill-based contest and chance plays no part in the determination of winning.
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A purchase will not increase your odds of winning.
Contest entry begins February 26, 2026 at 12:00 AM EDT, and ends April 13, 2026 at 11:59 PM EDT.
To enter, print out one of the PDF coloring sheets that are located at https://www.MeridianWaste.com/Earthday and color it in using any medium you'd like. Upload your entry via the submission form linked below the coloring sheets. Entry must be received by Meridian Waste no later than 11:59 PM EDT on April 13, 2026, by website submission. No other method of entry will be accepted.
Contact and address information collected will be used for the purposes of this contest only and will not be used for marketing or other purposes.
Limit one (1) entry per person. All entries must be original and entirely created by the entrant. There are no restrictions on what an entrant can use to color the image.
Three (3) winners in the 3-4 age group; three (3) winners in the 5-7 age group; three (3) winners in the 8-10 age group will be announced on the company website on April 22, 2026. We will contact the winners’ parents or legal guardians on or after April 22, 2026, using the preferred contact number that is listed on the form.

All entries become the property of Meridian Waste and Meridian Waste is granted the permission to publish the artwork with the child’s first name, last name initial, and city/state for appropriate media distribution including general press releases promoting and announcing the contest or future contests.
Winners agree to share a picture of the child to accompany the winning artwork.
Non-compliance or return of prize notification as undeliverable, whether by email or telephone, may result in disqualification and selection of an alternate potential winner. In the event of insufficient entries for an age group, a winner may not be chosen for that age group.
Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received.
Meridian Waste employees’ children and their immediate family members are not eligible to enter.
Copying, tracing, and electronically generated artwork will be disqualified.
Meridian Waste is not responsible for lost, late or misdirected entries, or incomplete/incorrect entries.
By participating, Contest entrants: (1) represent that they have complied with these Official Contest Rules; (2) have received parental consent and grant Meridian Waste the right to use his or her name, city, and state (3) release Meridian Waste from any and all liability in connection with this Contest.
This contest is open to all children in the United States. At this time, Meridian Waste is unable to award prizes to those located outside of the United States.
There is no cash value or monetary prize associated with this contest.
All submissions must be uploaded to https://www.MeridianWaste.com/Earthday with file formats of a JPG or PDF. All submissions must be completed by a parent or guardian age 18+ with correct contact information. No information will be sold or used for any purpose outside of the contest.