Laerskool Anton Van Wouw landed a prize of R30 000 in recognition of their position as Gauteng’s regional winner. The school managed to collect 28.9 tons of glass bottles and jars, which is over 86 000 glass bottles, during 2019.

Throughout the competition, there were monthly prizes awarded to the top-performing schools per region, which managed to collect the most glass per month. Schools within each of these areas were invited to apply for the placement of glass banks.

The three top-performing schools were selected in each participating region and they received:
  • R30 000 for the first prize for regional winner
  • R20 000 for the regional runner-up, and
  • R10 000 for the regional third prize.
Apart from placing glass banks at the schools, TGRC has also supplied curriculum compliant material to empower educators to facilitate a holistic view of the glass recycling process.

"Besides enabling the schools to play a pivotal role in reducing pollution within each participating province, this competition also assists in fostering entrepreneurship amongst the youth — imparting valuable skills that will help them during the next phase of their educational journey, as well as when they enter the job market," says Shabeer Jhetam, CEO of TGRC.

Gauteng saw Laerskool Anton Van Wouw taking first place in the region, with St. Paulus Pre-and Primary School coming in second. Kiddies Academy Lynnwood took third place. Altogether, the three winning schools in Gauteng collected around 60 tons of glass, which is the equivalent of 180 000 glass bottles or nine fully grown African elephants.

"TGRC remains dedicated to school recycling programmes because it is the perfect platform for instilling these beliefs in the next generation of business and societal leaders. [It] helps them gain a sense of accountability, ownership and pride, while fostering a respect for nature and highlighting the importance of recycling for the youth," concludes Jhetam.

The regional winners include:

KwaZulu Natal
  • Kloof Senior Primary School — first place
  • Isnembe Secondary School — second place
  • Mthombeni Primary School — third place
Gauteng
  • Laerskool Anton Van Wouw — first place
  • St. Paulus Pre-and Primary School — second place
  • Kiddies Academy Lynnwood — third place
Western Cape
  • Bergvliet Primary School — first place and national winner
  • Kenridge Primary School — second place
  • Bay Primary School — third place
Eastern Cape (East London and Port Elizabeth)
  • Westering Primary School — first place
  • Herbert Hurd Primary School — second place
  • Laerskool Nahoon — third place
For more information, visit www.tgrc.co.za or contact thandi@tgrc.co.za. You can also follow TGRC on Facebook.