Mrs SA finalist encourages youth to recycle
WOODMEAD – Olwethu Leshabane, a Mrs SA finalist, spent her Spring Day encouraging pupils to take care of their environment by recycling.
Olwethu Leshabane, one of this year’s Mrs SA finalists, visited Buccleuch Primary School in Woodmead on Spring Day.
Leshabane’s visit was to educate pupils about Mpact Recycling, a leading paper recycler in South Africa that has the goal of educating citizens on the benefits of recycling, as well as rewarding their recycling efforts.
The company also announced that it was renewing its partnership with Leshabane for the second consecutive year. “Our partnership with Mrs South Africa delivered great value in 2015, as the 25 finalists contributed to educating school children on the benefits of recycling and helped us to identify and include new communities and schools in our schools’ recycling project,” said Mpact Recycling managing director John Hunt.
“This year, our campaign will include a socio-economic development element, where the top 25 [finalists] will meet community leaders to identify needs in their areas which Mpact will meet, provided that the area’s recycling targets are met. The campaign objectives fit neatly with Mpact’s own drive to create awareness in schools and communities about recycling.”
Joanie Johnson, managing director of Mrs South Africa said, “As part of the competition, our finalists are encouraged to help with community upliftment and development initiatives throughout South Africa. Raising funds and charity work is an important part of the contestants’ journey.”
Mpact Recycling has helped set up over 40 buy-back centres, with more than 2 000 schools and communities recycling on a regular basis. Last year, it had 294 schools participating in its schools recycling competition.
This reached 143 913 eager young pupils, who made successful inroads in assisting Mpact Recycling reduce the waste going into landfills through a growing culture of reducing, reusing and recycling.
The company exceeded the 500 000 tonne mark for recycled paper last year, and it hopes to increase its tonnage this year.
“As one of the 25 finalists in the Mrs South Africa 2016 pageant, I can’t wait to take up the challenge to green the minds of the community and the youth ahead of Clean-up Week which runs from 12 to 17 September with Recycling Day being on Friday, 16 September,” Leshabane concluded.
