Eco-Logic Awards entries for 2024 now open

South Africa’s eco-warriors will soon be celebrated, with entries for the 2024 Eco-Logic Awards now open.

The awards are a celebration of South Africa’s eco-champions, groundbreaking projects, and innovative solutions, and have been running for over 12 years.

According to David Parry-Davies, editor of Enviropaedia and founder of the Eco-Logic Awards, it serves as a call to action, supporting initiatives that not only benefit “people and planet” but also spark inspiration and empowers consumers to embrace ecoconscious choices and decisions daily.

“It honours the pioneers and innovators spearheading the movement towards a more sustainable future. The awards are a platform not only to recognise eco-champions, but also to inspire consumers to support sustainable initiatives through their purchasing power,” Parry-Davies said.

This year, a partnership with Biomimicry SA aims to mark a significant milestone in advancing environmental practices to heal and protect the planet, he added.

“This partnership with Biomimicry SA is a significant step towards implementing sustainable practices through biomimicry, allowing us to learn from nature’s wisdom and evolve in unprecedented ways.”

Biomimicry is an innovative approach to solving human challenges by looking to nature for inspiration and emulating its time-tested solutions.

“A great example is the beak of the kingfisher, which inspired the redesign of the Shinkansen [bullet train] in Japan, resulting in increased speed and reduced energy consumption whilst solving the problem of the loud sonic boom each time the train exited a tunnel,” said Jane Lourens, co-director of Biomimicry SA.

Closer to home, Lourens explained more about the power of biomimicry with an example of a project they did in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research.

“We worked with rural communities across South Africa to unearth socio-economic opportunities by emulating how whole ecosystems function and then applying these learnings within the communities.

“One of the communities we worked with had a solid waste problem. By learning about how nature handles waste in natural ecosystems, the community was able to design and prototype a circular waste management system that addressed the issue of solid waste whilst also achieving numerous cascading benefits, such as creating employment and entrepreneurial opportunities.”

Winners of this year’s EcoLogic Awards will benefit from a consultation (valued at R300 000) with the Biomimicry SA team and enrolment in their Change Makers by Nature programme.

The programme gives participants the tools they need to lead purposefully, think systematically, and design solutions inspired by nature, Lourens said.

The awards ceremony is set to take place at the Two Oceans Aquarium at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town on 30 October.

The event will honour gold, silver and bronze winners across 12 categories, including Climate Change, Nature Conservation, Water Conservation, Circular Economy and Waste Innovation, Eco-fashion and Lifestyle, Eco-health and Wellness, Eco-hospitality and Tourism, Eco-Innovation, Eco-Friendly Products, Eco-Communities and Schools, Eco-Angel, and Eco-Warrior.

There will also be a programme of environmental talks and workshops.

Entry is free, with all submissions evaluated by a panel of 12 independent and environmentally knowledgeable executives from diverse backgrounds.

Entries are open until 30 June at eco-logicawards.com.