A belt made of tin. A hat made of cardboard. A dress made of newspaper with DVD and CD accents. These were some of many designs showcased during Qatar?s ?long? celebration of World Environment Day starting in May continuing until after World Environment Day on June 5. 

The Eco Fashion Design Contest, which was organized by the International Academy for Intercultural Development and the Friends of Environment Center . It took place in Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar . More than 500 children and young adults from 40 schools were divided into 175 teams for the contest.

The purpose of the fashion design contest was to educate people, specifically children and young adults, on the importance of recycling while still being creative. Contestants were allowed to use only recyclable materials.These materials included cardboard, tin, recycled fabric or clothing, aluminum, plastic, paper cartons, chipboard, newspaper, mixed papers such as magazines, junk mail, and catalogues, paper bags, glass, and many other materials.

A panel of four judges from the fashion department at Virginia Commonwealth University judged the contestants based on the overall look, environmental message, creativity, and team effort.

After much deliberation, the judges narrowed down the list of contestants. These contestants will be re-invited to the closing ceremony of World Environment Day on June 7 to walk the runway and present their eco-fashion design creations. At that time, the winners will be chosen and announced.