The Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination and Coca-Cola, the official global partner for the 2010 Expo, celebrated the event's one-year countdown by launching the College Student Environment Protection Innovation Contest in Beijing.

The student contest - "Small Changes, Collectively to Create a Better City" - will involve more than 100 universities and colleges across China.

To inspire individual actions for a sustainable future, the college campaign invites college students from across China to submit their creative ideas to better protect the environment, and to make small changes in their lives for a better and more sustainable future.

Two hundred winners from this environment protection innovation contest will be awarded "Expo City Stars" and serve as model citizens during the World Expo 2010 promoting healthy lifestyles and awareness of the environment.

Green lifestyle

The majority of Expo City Stars will be named in August, while five college students from Peking University were among the first to be awarded the Expo City Stars at the Beijing launching ceremony as they have been pioneers of green lifestyles on their campus and have just returned from a trip to the South Pole.

Lai Yunqiu, a college designer, showcased her clothing made of garbage.

"They are inexpensive and beautiful," said Lai. "What is more important is that these garments arouse a sense of environmental protection among us."

"The International Exposition Bureau has set the primary function of the World Expo as education. College students are a major target as visitors to the Expo because their ideas, attitudes and behavior will help determine our sustainable future," said Chen Chao from the Shanghai World Expo Coordination Bureau.

They also unveiled a limited edition Coca-Cola pin set commemorating Expo 2010.

The 17-pin set depicts several landmarks of the Shanghai Expo, which join together to form a Coca-Cola bottle shape. Only 2,010 limited edition sets will be produced.

(Shanghai Daily May 18, 2009)