The 2018 Eco-Logic Awards judging panel gathered this month (06 April) in Cape Town to select the finalists in each environmental category, to be honoured at this year’s Eco-Logic Awards ceremony.
Hosted by The Enviropaedia, the awards will take place on World Environment Day (05 June) in Tshwane, and celebrates those individuals, organisations products and services that positively contribute towards an environmentally sustainable world for us to live in.
“The Eco-Logic Awards promotes the best of South Africa’s Eco-Champions. This is becoming more and more relevant for consumers today, particularly when you look at just how much they care about the moral and environmental values and behaviour of the brands they choose to support.,” says David Parry-Davies, publisher of Enviropaedia and founder of the awards.
The judging panel, which consisted of 14 highly experienced and knowledgeable judges from senior positions in the private and public sectors, had a big task on their hands, examining all the high-quality entries. “It was tough deciding on the ultimate winners from all the entries, but I believe each single entry is worthy. Every effort made to save our planet is welcomed, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem to some, because as a collective we have so much more power to make a positive difference, “said Smile 90.4FM presenter, Maurice Carpede, who was on the judging panel.
Since the competition launched in 2011, the Eco-Logic Awards has flourished and grown in scale, status and influence to become one of South Africa’s most prestigious environmental calendar events, with broad support from South Africa’s environmental authorities and thought leaders. “The Eco-Logic value system is a radically new approach to addressing today’s environmental challenges. It identifies the destructive thinking patterns and values that have led to today’s environmental critical conditions and promotes an alternative set of constructive values and thinking patterns (The Seven Virtues of Eco-Logic) that support and benefit People, Planet and a Green Economy,’ says Parry-Davies.
The following ‘Virtues of Eco-Logic’ were used to assess each entry:
— Benefits and regenerates the Earth
— Reflects long-term, sustainable thinking
— Embraces a broadly inclusive and systemic thinking
— Demonstrates an Ubuntu care and consideration for others
— Is of excellent quality and ethical standard of production
— Demonstrates innovation and inspiration
— Reflects ‘Eco-Logical Wisdom’ by being both intellectually and emotionally intelligent
The 2018 Eco-Logic Awards finalists include:
Biodiversity Award (sponsored by Afrisam)
- Bearded Vulture Breeding Programme
- Buffelsdraai Landfill Site Community Reforestation Project
- Cape Town Environmental Education Trust – Nature Care Fund
- LAB: Wetlands SA Project
- LifeScanner Lab-In-A-Box
Climate Change Award (sponsored by the Department of Environmental Affairs)
- EcoBrick Exchange
- Ecological Regeneration: Vusa Collaborative
- ENERGY Systems Joburg Landfill Gas To Electricity Project
- Pick n Pay
- Sanlam Cape Town Marathon
Eco-Innovation Award (sponsored by City of Tshwane)
- CSIR Bioplastic
- Rare Earth Recycling Technologies – LPX Luminophorous Powder Processing Plant
- Reclite – Electronic and Lighting Waste Transportation
- Touch Tap
- Zeitz Mocaa Museum
Energy Efficiency Award (sponsored by ESKOM)
- Elgin Fruit Juice – Anaerobic Digestion Plant
- Energy Partners – Pick ‘n Pay Project
- Energy Systems Johannesburg – Landfill Gas To Electricity Project
- Sarebi – The South African Renewable Energy Business Incubator
- Robben Island Solar PV Microgrid
Recycling and Waste Management Award
- ISUZU – Zero Waste to Landfill
- Rambrick
- The Supa Mama Entrepreneurial Training Project
- Wild Coast Sun – Zero Waste to Landfill
- ZuluGal Retro
Transport Award
- Smart Trucking – Performance Based Standards
- E-lectric bicycle technology
- Ford Wildlife Foundation
- Mechanical Concrete by Tiro Sechaba Construction
- uGoMyWay
Water Conservation Award (sponsored by Sodastream)
- Avis Water Conservation
- ECOlaTRINE sanitation and waste management solution
- Liberty Braamfontein – Water Saving Project
- Table Bay Hotel
- Water Rhapsody Conservation Systems
Green Economy Award (sponsored by CSIR – National Cleaner Production Centre)
- The Greenovate Awards
- EcoBrick Exchange
- TOMA – NOW – Developing the Biomass Value Chain
- Urban Grown South Africa
- WESSA EEESAY Project
Municipalities Award (sponsored by SANTAM)
- City of Cape Town Green Bond
- Ethekwini Black Soldier Fly Technology
- Saldanha Bay Municipality Recycling Project
- City of Tshwane Green Building Programme
- Knysna Municipality Disaster Management
Eco-Youth Award (sponsored by Pick n Pay)
- Jukskei River Dirt Catcher – Hannan and Khaleel Akoojee
- Raise the Baby Rhino with Hunter Mitchell
- Jacobus van der Linden – Steps to Good Hope
- Miss Earth South Africa – Eco Bricks
- Sibusiso Mnisi – Good Work Foundation
Eco-Community Award (sponsored by Sun International)
- Cape Town Environmental Education Trust – Conservation Leadership Programme
- Happitecture: Jonathan Edkins
- Korsman Conservancy
- Princess Vlei Forum
- Urban Grown South Africa
Eco-Angel Award (sponsored by Pam Golding Properties)
- Anthony Asher-Wood (KZN Valley Dogs)
- Esther van der Westhuizen (Butterfly World Zoo)
- Linda Tucker (Keeper of the White Lions)
- Shannon Hoffman (African Raptor Centre)
- Twin Mosia for the Mamafubedu Greening Project (Elandskop Museum)
Eco-Warrior Award
- Chris Whyte (Use it Waste)
- David Hall – (Volunteer Wildfire Services)
- Patricia Schröder (Reclite SA (Pty) Ltd)
- Sinegugu Zukulu (Sustaining the Wild Coast)
- Twin Mawela Mosia (The Ingredients Productions and Elandskop Museum)
The ‘Glamorously Green’ Eco-Logic Gala Awards will be hosted at the new eco-friendly Sun International Hotel on Times Square in Menlyn Maine, Tshwane. Winners will be announced at the event, which will host more than 400 VIP guests, including environmental movers and shakers, thought leaders, celebrities, sponsors and top business executives, government and municipal representatives.
SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE AWARDS:
Happitecture: Jonathan Edkins (Eco-community category)
The concept of Happitecture establishes a gathering point for individuals and disciplines to promote collaborative contributions to informed, people-centred decision making in architecture, urban design and planning. It opens the doors for “non-specialists” to participate and contribute actively to an improved shared living environment and ecology. Applying a metaphysical “third way” starting point to the design of spaces, Happitecture investigates a potential alternative methodology, including broad participatory processes, to critique the existing Master planning processes, and suggest a people-centred approach for future planning of public and private spaces.
uGoMyWay (Transport category)
Developed in Cape Town, uGoMyWay is a newly launched ride-share and carpool application, which helps to solve traffic congestion, reduce CO2 emissions, improve road safety and can save us all a few hundred bucks as well. The app is free to download from the Google Play or the Apple App Store and allows users to safely find drivers and passengers who travel to and from the same locations, to share their everyday journeys and travel costs.
ZuluGal Retro (Recycling and Waste Management category)
The Durban based ZuluGal Retro social enterprise recycles and upcycles laminated food-packaging material into fashions accessories (bags, purses and jewellery) handcrafted by unemployed differently abled youth and their caregivers.
EcoBrick Exchange (Climate change category)
The EcoBrick Exchange is an Environmental Awareness NPC that raises funds for the improvement of young children’s educational experiences at Preschools in Townships through funds raised by environmental training programmes & campaigns. The EBE activates communities to take up the habit of EcoBricking which are donated as a building material for the construction of Preschool projects. The EBE believes that being environmentally responsible can be fun. In our ‘Spark My School’ programmes we aim to engage children through play and spark their imaginations on the possibilities of what can be created using waste.
