Evergreen Packaging and KidsGardening.org are on the lookout for creative, sustainable uses for recycled milk and juice cartons in the garden. A new contest has K–12 teachers encouraging their students to collect, design and construct garden-related structures made from empty cartons and to document their experience.

Get started by collecting cartons and by requesting an entry kit, which includes free seeds, plant markers, posters and activities. Cartons can be collected from home, the community and the school lunch program. Four national winners will receive prizes valued at $2,500. Sixteen winners from eight different regions will receive award packages valued at $1,000.

Deadline: Wednesday, April 22
Rules: web.eenorthcarolina.org

Video showing past creations: