As the demand for more people to become environmentally responsible grows, greater numbers of South African schools are embracing the journey towards becoming truly sustainable.
Shaadia Vawda, marketing director, Unilever, Laundry SA said: "The report back has been quite positive in that schools have been receptive and co-operative towards the concept of going green.
"A natural interest to learn about green issues was evident among schoolchildren and this was further supported by teachers who were equally enthusiastic about the initiative, which proved to be an ideal complement to the existing school curriculum.
"An interesting observation was that some schools had already begun implementing some really outstanding environmentally-friendly initiatives and we can only hope that more schools will emulate this trend of thought in the future."
Following a stringent adjudication process by a panel of judges in conjunction with an environmental specialist, the three schools that emerged as winners of the Greener, cleaner, smarter, better Omo Auto Liquids challenge are Applewood Preparatory School in Cape Town, Durban Girls College (Junior Primary) in KwaZulu-Natal, and Tyndale Christian School in Gauteng.
Schools were rated according to three determining criteria, namely, overall creativity, quality of evidence provided and positive impact on environmental conservation.
Participating schools made use of tools such as recorded data, diary inserts, photographs and graphs to demonstrate the measures undertaken by each school actively to reduce their impact on the environment.
Applewood Preparatory School subscribes to an integrated approach to education in ensuring that an eco-lifestyle is built into the curriculum. The school often has inter-class recycling challenges in which the proceeds are donated to a non-profit organisation.
The proceeds from a recent newspaper and book collection went towards animal anti-cruelty while clothes were distributed to underprivileged communities for the winter season.
The school's Save Our Rhinos campaign is an initiative that is close to the hearts of the children of Applewood Preparatory School. Through their Art With A Heart campaign, the school's art department produces some of the most creative works of art, which will be sold at an exhibition to be held at the end of the year. Each piece of art will have a hidden heart within the work.
The proceeds from the exhibition will go towards the Rhino Foundation. As the works of art are being created, the children are encouraged to take note of their environment by recycling, reusing and upcycling.
The winning schools each received R30 000 worth of equipment towards the upgrading of school facilities.
"Achieving a society that is truly eco-friendly is a process that requires behavioural change, which calls for innovative awareness programmes that are strategically aligned with the education system.
"Parents also have a pivotal role to play in cultivating good environmental practices among children and ensuring that this becomes the norm. The daily choices we make could limit potential threats to the environment.
"We can all make a difference by purchasing eco-friendly products with eco-friendly packaging, making use of alternative renewable energy resources and taking the time to recycle. Not only are these practices simple and realistic - if applied in a manner conducive to the environment, they are also achievable," said Vawda.
Through its Omo brand, Unilever is making a long-term commitment to effecting consumer change at a young age and wants to get future generations to build this responsible consumption into their outlook from when they are young.
Unilever, through its Sustainable Living Plan launched in November 2010, is committed to delivering its vision of doubling the company's size whilst reducing its overall environmental impact.
