‘1 Minute Orchestra’ challenges Romanian students to turn recycled packaging into music

Romania’s national music education program BeatAgora has launched 1 Minute Orchestra, an online contest encouraging students to create music using recyclable packaging. The initiative, developed in partnership with RetuRO - the administrator of the Deposit Return System SGR, aims to combine creativity with environmental responsibility.

The competition, hosted exclusively on Instagram, invites young participants to transform SGR-marked packaging, including plastic bottles, cans, and glass, into musical instruments. The concept promotes “sound upcycling,” challenging students to produce original rhythms using everyday recyclable objects.

Participants are required to post short videos of up to 59 seconds featuring their improvised instruments, using specific hashtags and collaborating with the official BeatAgora account. Each entrant can submit up to three videos, and multiple students can appear in a single clip.

The contest is open to pre-university students across Romania and is designed to make music education more accessible while encouraging creative exploration beyond traditional instruments.

“Care for the environment has always been part of my DNA. I’m glad the time has come to combine art and ecology in such a beautiful project as 1 Minute Orchestra. I hope the Music of Packaging will delight the online space,” said Zoli Toth, initiator of the BeatAgora program.

The competition will include a strong public voting component. On April 20, the top 15 videos based on Instagram likes will advance to the final, where a professional jury will select the winners based on originality, musicality, and creative use of materials.

The winners will be announced on April 22, marking Earth Day. Prizes include RON 2,000 for first place, RON 1,500 for second place, RON 1,000 for third place, and a special jury award worth RON 1,000.

Further details can be found here.

(Photo source: the organizers)