Meet Commander Carton, environmental champion

Targeting 35 primary schools in Soweto and Tembisa, the campaign is expected to reach 25 000 children between the ages of 6 and 12 years.

Each performance kicks off with a 20-minute educational show by 'Commander Carton' - Tetra Pak's environmental champion - who teaches the audience about the benefits of recycling and the importance of taking care of the planet. The interactive, entertaining performance aims to prevent littering, promote recycling and caring for the environment and impart information on Tetra Pak's hygienic, recyclable packaging.

A competition is being run concurrently which encourages children to collect Tetra Pak cartons, such as those containing milk, juice and custard. Prizes will be awarded to the school, teacher and child who collect the most cartons by the end of the campaign. Winning schools and teachers will receive much-needed computers and gift vouchers, and the winning child at each school will receive a bursary to cover the cost of their entire school education.

First of many campaigns

Says Bryn Thomas, Tetra Pak (SA) marketing director & sub Sahara Africa cluster leader for environment, "Tetra Pak aims to be a global leader in environmental care and recycling, and for us in South Africa this is the first of many campaigns promoting this philosophy."

"Our company motto is 'protects what's good'. This covers our customer products, their consumers and of course the environment; all three aspects play such an important role in our society's future... And by educating our children we will make a real impact on a mindset of sustainability, renewability and a realisation that packaging can be recycled and re-used in other products."

The four week roadshow will culminate in a prize-giving ceremony where the winning children, educators and schools will be given their prizes. The campaign is supported in schools with posters, educational booklets and project books that reinforce messages around recycling and caring for the environment.

Township initiative

In support of the school roadshow, Tetra Pak is sponsoring a new township initiative being driven by Cinemark. From 15 August 2006, Cinemark will take the movies to the people and township residents across the country will be able to watch free movies in their community centres.

At each showing Tetra Pak will screen its new commercials, which tell the story of how Commander Carton became a super hero, how he developed his special protective layers, and how he fights for the environment and recycling. A series covering the benefits of Tetra Pak's packaging with respect to food safety - protection against light, bacteria and oxygen - will also be screened. A Tetra Pak representative will address the audience to promote the ongoing collection of packs and reinforce the benefits of recycling and the environment.