Cutlery, CDs and chip packets covered Nelson's Church Steps, but the waste was not destined for the rubbish bin.

Nine schools and early childhood centres, and the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology, displayed their artworks, which were made out of waste, on the steps yesterday.

Nelson Environment Centre waste education services school facilitator Sarah Langi said the Hyperwaste Art Expo was the next stage in waste education.

The exhibition was timed around Matariki, the Maori new year, because it represented the new life of the recycled products.

"It's like new beginnings."

The artworks were a complete surprise to Ms Langi who had opted to not see the exhibits before the display.

"It is amazing," Ms Langi said.

She said the NMIT creative arts students' artwork, made of plastic bottles, sent a strong message to the public.

"They wanted to make people think about buying bottled water."

Passers-by told her how the exhibition made them "really think" about the waste they were creating.

"The whole idea was changing people's perceptions about waste."

The exhibition was funded by the Nelson City Council and an Arts Council Creative Communities grant. Bunnings donated bamboo poles to support the artworks.

Nayland Primary School pupil Sophie Allen, 10, said there should be more things like the exhibition.

"My favourite part was collecting the stuff we needed to use."

Sophie said they had collected old chip packets, jeans and socks to create their artwork.

"We learnt to recycle and that things that are not useful can become useful."

The artworks would be moved to the children's library or the Refinery Artspace and will be kept for Ecofest.

- © Fairfax NZ News