Recognition for those looking after the Earth

INDIVIDUALS, organisations, products and services that were making a difference and contributing to the conservation of the planet were honoured at the 2019 Eco-Logic Awards this week.

At the ceremony at the Table Bay Hotel, newly appointed Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (Daff) Barbara Creecy emphasised the need for sustainable practices.

Creecy also highlighted the importance of environmental literacy in aiding long-term sustainable thinking, and spoke of the department’s intention to further develop their public environmental awareness programme.

“Sustainable development is only possible if it is underpinned and informed by an environmentally literate society, one where everybody has an understanding and the skills and motivation to take responsible decisions that consider his or her relationship to natural systems, communities and future generations,” she said.

With 44 finalists across 12 categories, this year’s entries set the benchmark for eco-logical thinking, with innovative water-saving solutions, fossil fuel initiatives, eco-friendly schools, conservation training, recycling and waste management, passionate youth programmes and more.

The spirit of creativity, fun and celebration was also reflected in the “glamorously green” dress code that guests were encouraged to follow.

Attendees had donned a colourful array of recycled, upcycled and ecofriendly outfits.

Enviropaedia publisher and awards founder David ParryDavies said their wish for all the participants was for them to secure the ongoing support they need to continue their good work.

“We always aim to cut through the negative and showcase the positive, because when you see the magnificent efforts by our communities, businesses, government departments and individuals, there is so much to celebrate,” Parry-Davies said.

The Department of Agriculture came out tops on the climate change category for its SmartAgri plan.

Dekro Paints won for its eco innovation Amoriguard A-gain, a water-based primer that is environmentally friendly for application onto cements plasters where good alkali resistance is required.

Green Cape’s Western Cape Industrial Symbiosis Programme claimed gold in the recycling and waste management category.

The Knysna Municipality scooped both silver and bronze in this category.

For sustaining the Wild Coast, the Xolobeni community won in the eco community category, while Joshua Potgieter and Imraan Samuels claimed the eco-youth category for their Guerilla House initiative, a registered NPO which operated as an organic training space where young people learn practical urban permaculture skills and actively engage in regeneration as a collective.

The Artists for Nature exhibition had invited 15 local artists to create new artworks that reflected their individual passions for nature and the seven virtues of “eco-logical thinking”.

For more information visit: http://www.eco-logicawards.com

We aim to cut through the negative and showcase the positive David Parry-Davies Enviropaedia