Entries open for SA's inaugural STOMP Awards

Photo by Val Adamson

Entries are currently open, close on 8 November, and must be made online.

CLIP is an international science and outreach programme working in partnership with governments, universities, NGOs and communities in countries across the Commonwealth to take action on plastics entering the oceans. The STOMP Awards form part of a nationwide activation ahead of the Cape Town 'CLIP Innovation Conference: STEM the tide of plastic waste in Africa' in Cape Town on 4 and 5 December 2019. The conference, which is co-hosted together with the Sustainable Seas Trust, aims to practically address STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) solutions to tackling and preventing marine litter. Entries to the STOMP Awards will be showcased at the conference and all entrants are invited to register for the free conference.

CLIP is led by the United Kingdom through the Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), funded by the UK’s Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), and has partnered with Green Corridors, a Durban based non-profit organisation to roll out the awards programme in South Africa.

Photo by Val Adamson

Galvanising solution-based thinking

"Up to 90% of marine litter is made up of plastics, originating from both land and sea-based sources. This makes plastic pollution one of the most widespread problems facing our oceans today. If we are to tackle this issue, urgent, coordinated and effective action is paramount," says Thomas Maes, principal marine litter scientist of CLIP. "We are working collaboratively with countries across the Commonwealth to try to find tangible and practical geographic and environmental solutions and are using these awards as a means to galvanise solution-based thinking around the issues of plastic pollution and in particular how it impacts on the oceans.”

The awards, which are open to all South African residents, are grouped into four categories: Technology or Technical Design, Product Development, Inspire through Creativity, and Action.

“These awards create a fantastic opportunity for individuals and groups to come together to act, create and innovate with a common purpose,” says Maes. “We aim to educate and communicate to a wide range of communities, the urgent need to change behaviours around the use of plastics, and to bring tangible and actionable opportunities for change to the forefront.”

Awards categories

The Technology or Technical Design category is recommended for (but not limited to) students and researchers in the science, technology and engineering fields, who are working with new and innovative design and or technologies that will help reduce or manage plastic pollution and encourage circular economy thinking.

The Product Development category is also open to South African registered small to medium micro-enterprises who have consumer products or services that are innovative and allow consumers to reduce their plastic waste.

The Inspire through Creativity category is divided into an adult (17 years and older) and youth section (16 years and younger). The aim here is to encourage people to use creative arts, artwork, photography, short films, dance, sculpture, graffiti, advert campaigns or any other art form to inspire people into creating a better planet. It is hoped that the creative work can live as a legacy to future generations to inspire them not to revert back a world without concern about the environment.

A Special Recognition Award for Action Category recognises individuals, schools, civil society organisations or informal groups for the work they do in implementing cleanups, or developing and implementing projects to mitigate waste, reduce plastic, change behaviours or create awareness at a local, community level.

Enter online at www.stompawards.co.za. There is a public voting period for one week from 8 to 15 November.