The Faithful to Nature Eco Awards will take the recognition and appreciation of green brands beyond the love shown for them by consumers who purchase their products and services, by recognising those which take the eco ethos into a working space and influence individuals to act consciously in their consumption decisions.
Consumers who have an eco-warrior brand close to their hearts can submit them for nomination across six categories: Best Eco Product Innovation; Eco-Conscious Hospitality; Active Eco Warrior; Best Plastic-Free Brand; Best Grassroots Eco Initiative/Group and Best Vegan Product. A selection process will see 5 finalists named for each category, with voting for the winner done by a select panel of knowledgeable judges.
Consumers who submit nominations stand a chance to win R10,000 in cash, and the winners of the South African Eco Awards claim not only bragging rights to being the eco-pioneers in their fields, but also a combined R100,000 worth of exposure to Faithful to Nature’s engaged online eco audience. The winners will be announced at a gala evening later this year.
Faithful to Nature owner, Robyn Smith, feels that the introduction of the Eco Awards is long-overdue. “We have a strong group of brands in the country who are working hard to help consumers make more environmentally-conscious decisions about the products they use every day – something heartily deserving of recognition,” she says. “People are realising the increasing impact of their consumption decisions on the planet – the ‘no straw’ movement is a great example – and we want to support the brands who are helping us be more mindful about protecting the environment.”
Best Eco Product Innovation: Seeking to recognise companies or individuals who are leading thinking around creating more eco-conscious products for consumers and driving awareness around the environment in the manufacturing and use of a product.
Eco-Conscious Hospitality: Recognising restaurants, cafés, hotels and any other hospitality providers who are leading thinking around creating more eco-conscious experiences for consumers. Think: providing consumers with products that don’t impact the environment. It's the small things that these providers do that enables us to edit our purchasing decisions for the better.
Active Eco Warrior: An individual who is actively and consciously living the environmentally-friendly lifestyle and also attempting to spread the message and inspire positive change in others.
Best Plastic-Free Brand: Recognising brands which are 100% plastic-free in their products and packaging – a massively challenging task in the modern world, and an achievement that deserves recognition and reward.
Best Grassroots Eco Initiative/Group: Startups and small, but growing projects that work tirelessly to improve the condition of the planet through active campaigns and activities that involve the participation of the public.
Best Vegan Product: ‘Vegan’ is no longer just a dietary choice – it’s an ethos which can be applied to products across the market, including production processes, from beginning to end.
The Eco Award nominations are now open and close on 21 September 2018.
