Pupils win tub collecting competition

A Rocklands primary school collected enough empty yoghurt tubs to win R10 000.

Wavecrest Primary School was one of three national winners in the Danone NutriDay Tubs2Classrooms competition last year.

They received a cheque of R10 000 on Friday January 20 after collecting close to 20 000 of the 300 000 yoghurt tubs collected throughout the campaign.

The pupils collected the most tubs in the Western Cape. They were encouraged to clean and bring their used yoghurt tubs to school, which in turn would be converted into light-weight bricks to build classrooms for schools in need.

Teacher Callista Carolus said that their school has core values which they try to live by.

“I explained to the kids how privileged they are to sit in a classroom and receive their education while there are others who are not so fortunate.

“So I challenged them to see if we could reach our target,” she said.

Ms Carolus said that she was surprised when the winners were announced because at times they did not even collect 1 000 tubs.

“Yet, with the hardwork and dedication of our learners, we could make a difference,” she said.

The campaign, launched last year, in partnership with Pick n Pay and Interwaste, set out to educate 80 primary schools nationally, teaching children about the value of responsible plastic recycling.

Other competition entrants from Mitchell’s Plain include Caradale, Caravelle, Harvester and Hillside primary schools.

Leanne Kiezer, head of corporate affairs for Danone Southern Africa, said that schools perform an invaluable role in their communities.

“Not only do they shape the minds of our future generation, but they have the power to actively drive social change that leads to a better, more sustainable future for all.

“It is our honour to recognise Wavecrest Primary’s passion for protecting the environment; a cause which Danone values and implements as part of our business goals,” she said.