Eco champions recognised for protecting the environment

At the ‘Glamorously Green’ 11th annual Eco-Logic Awards, hosted by the Enviropaedia at the Two Oceans Aquarium on 22 September (also World Rhino Day), an inspiring line-up of eco-logically beneficial products, services, individuals and organisations were recognised for protecting and preserving our planet and environment.

As the first time the Awards could be celebrated at a public gathering since COVID, there was a great turnout and buzzing excitement as high-profile dignitaries, special guests, celebrities, CEOs and 38 eco-champion finalists across 12 categories gathered in amazing ‘Glamorously Green’ outfits.

It is also the first time that the Awards will be televised, so everyone in South Africa can be part of the event!

 

Tune in to People’s Weather, DStv channel 180 and Openview channel 115, on 30 September between 19:00-21:00 (repeat screenings at 08:00-10:00 and 14:00-16:00) to see all finalists, meet the winners, mingle with SA’s best-loved celebs and admire the colourful array of imaginative and creative recycled, upcycled and eco-friendly glamorously green outfits! Certainly, a delightfully fun highlight of the evening was rewarding the best-dressed guests, including Tarryn Johnston, who stole the show with a splendid upcycled outfit. She walked away with a set of diamond earrings from De Beers.

Keeping guests in good ‘green’ spirits was Master of Ceremonies, Zandile Ndhlovu – also known as ‘The Black Mermaid’– SA’s first black African freediving instructor and founder of The Black Mermaid Foundation which seeks to create a new generation of ocean guardians and capacitate youth participation in the Blue Ocean Economy.

The event received a host of celebrity shout-outs from popular celebrities including South African music artists Jeremy Loops and Zolani Mahola, Eco-Warrior and adventurer Riaan Manser, as well as stand-up comic Nik Rabinowitz, and also featured a live performance from Anita Jackson, an active Ambassador of WildAid, with a mission to protect wildlife from illegal trade and other threats.

 

A poignant moment during the ceremony honoured the late Claire Janisch, the founder of Biomimicry South Africa, who was posthumously awarded this year’s Eco-Light Bearer Award, for her substantial contribution in protecting, preserving and healing our precious Earth.

The overall event was dedicated to the late Desmond Tutu, an Eco-Ubuntu Champion. Although ‘The Arch’ was better known for his social voice and activities, he was also deeply caring of our environment and eco-systems, and an active supporter of The Eco-Logic Awards, which encourage everyone to ‘be part of the solution’ to our environmental challenges.

Of course, the real stars of the evening were the 38 finalists from an array of backgrounds, selected across 12 categories and from all over the country during August, after the entries were assessed by a panel of judges consisting of influential environmental voices.

 

The entries included inspiring eco-initiatives such as mobile showers for homeless people, solar-efficient programmes, micro-farming and food security programmes, youth conservation programmes, biodiversity and conservation funding initiatives, small and large-scale community and river clean-ups, innovative recycling and waste management initiatives, healthy household products including biodegradable and non-toxic concentrates, water soluble cleaning sachets and reusable sponges, highly efficient wood burning cooking stoves, as well as innovative washable sanitary wear and reusable natural pineapple fibre cloth nappies.

“These Eco-Champions give us reason for hope and optimism as they inspire us and demonstrate that through Eco-Logical Intelligence, we can all make a significant positive impact, and collectively we can heal this planet, and in the process, heal ourselves,” says Eco-Logic Awards founder and director, David Parry-Davies, who is also the publisher of Enviropaedia.

Climate Change Award

Sponsored by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE)

• Professor Guy F Midgley from Global Change Biology Group (Gold)
• WESSA for The WESSA KIC Project (Silver)
• The Solar Impulse Foundation and GreenCape for Submit Your Solution (Bronze)

Nature Conservation Award

Sponsored by Ford Wildlife Foundation

• The Two Oceans Aquarium Education Foundation for the Turtle Rescue, Rehabilitation and Release programme (Gold)
• Wildlife ACT (Silver)
• Nature Connect (Bronze)

Eco-Innovation Award

Sponsored by NCPC

• The Center for Regenerative Design and Collaboration & RESIN8 (Gold)
• Reclite (Silver)
• The Value-Added Industries Programme (Bronze)

Circular Economy & Waste Innovation Award

Sponsored by Interwaste

• Danone NutriDay Tubs2Classrooms Project (Gold)
• SA Plastics Pact (Silver)
• Center for Regenerative Design and Collaboration & RESIN8 (Bronze)

 

Water Conservation Award

Sponsored by Viva Con Agua

• Invasive alien plants and water security – David Le Maitre (Gold)
• The Berg River Improvement Plan (Silver)
• Bioremediation of Water by Rodney Genricks (Bronze)

Eco-Fashion & Lifestyle Award

Sponsored by Polo

• Hemporium Textiles, Clothing and Accessories (Gold)
• Lara Klawikowski (Silver)
• David Green Eyewear (Bronze)

Eco-Health & Wellness Award

Sponsored by Dis-Chem

• Leafline (Gold)
• Triple Orange cleaning products (Silver)
• Nina Manzi (Bronze)

Eco-Friendly Product Award

Sponsored by Omegaverse

• KleenUP water and sanitation (Gold)
• TLCRS Rocket Stove (Silver)
• Kindly Living reusable sponges (Joint Bronze)
• Tumble Green water soluble cleaning sachets (Joint Bronze)

 

Eco-Community & School Award

Sponsored by Pick ‘n Pay

• PHA Food and Farming Campaign (Gold)
• Hennops Revival (Silver)
• Friends of the Liesbeek (Bronze)

Eco-Hospitality & Tourism Award

Sponsored by the City of Cape Town and the Two Oceans Aquarium

• Vergelegen Wine Estate (Gold)
• Hotel Verde (Silver)
• CTICC (Joint Bronze)
• Sun City (Joint Bronze)

Eco-Angel Award

Sponsored by Endangered Wildlife Trust

• Christo Marais (Gold)
• Fortunate Mafeta Phaka (Silver)
• Tarryn Johnston (Bronze)

Eco-Warrior Award

Sponsored by Polyco

• Neville Van Rooy (Gold)
• Mark David Anderson (Silver)
• Brian Van Wilgen (Bronze)

Eco-Light Bearer Award

Sponsored by the Enviropaedia

• Claire Janisch

 

“These Awards highlight and showcase our eco-champions, so they can get the recognition they deserve and secure the ongoing support they need to continue their good work,” says Parry-Davies.

“A HUGE thank you to all our sponsors and supporters, including People’s Weather, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries & Environment, City of Cape Town, WildAid, Two Oceans Aquarium, Endangered Wildlife Trust, Ford Wildlife Foundation, Pick ‘n Pay, Dis-Chem, Interwaste, NCPC, Polo, Viva Con Agua, South Africa, Omegaverse, Cape Union Mart, Citizen, Buffelsdrift, De Beers, Stellar Winery, Stodels, Canon and Polyco.”

Since launching in 2011, the Eco-Logic Awards has grown to become the most glamorous and prestigious event on the annual ‘green’ calendar, known not only for highlighting critical environmental issues, but also for attracting and encouraging public participation through its light-hearted and celebratory approach to tackling these serious issues.

Based on a radically new approach to addressing today’s environmental issues, the Eco-Logic value system identifies destructive thinking patterns and values that have led to today’s critical environmental conditions and promotes an alternative way of thinking and a raised level of consciousness through the seven V.I.R.T.U.E.S of Eco-Logic.