In 1970, the Container Corporation of America organized a design competition to create a symbol for recycled paper. Gary Anderson, a 23-year-old engineering student at the University of Southern California, submitted his design and won the contest. The design, which consisted of three arrows forming a loop, was inspired by Anderson's previous work on a graphic depicting the flow of water through a system. Anderson's logo was released into the public domain and has since become an internationally recognized symbol for #recycling . Despite its widespread use, Anderson only received a prize of around $2,000 for his winning design. #history