Lakeside Primary School proud of their win

Lakeside Primary has emerged as a provincial champion in a recent national recycling competition, collecting an impressive 1 7034kg of cardboard cartons.

Despite joining the competition late, the school’s remarkable efforts propelled it to second place in the national rankings, an extraordinary feat given the participation of over 320 schools and 300 000 learners across four provinces.

The competition, organised through a collaboration between Tetra Pak, Orange Grove, RFG Foods and Woodlands Dairy, aimed to educate young learners about the importance of recycling.

“We joined the competition last year with excitement, particularly because the prize included R25 000 and 40 desks made from recycled materials.

“As a non-fee school, we recently erected three classrooms but had no furniture. Winning those desks became our primary motivation,” said Craig Jansen, principal of Lakeside Primary.

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Jansen said the support from parents was overwhelming. Participants collectively gathered over 1.6 million cartons between September and November 2024.

This initiative not only inspired learners to recycle but also demonstrated the transformative potential of recycled materials, which can be converted into benches, desks, roof tiles and outdoor furniture.

“It wasn’t just about the prize; it was about teaching our children the importance of recycling and maintaining a clean environment,” Jansen added.

Initially, Lakeside Primary did not make the top 10 in the rankings. However, the school’s determination and strategy led to a swift turnaround.

800kg per week
“When we joined on October 1, the results were recorded weekly. By the second week, we climbed to fourth place and from then on, we consistently held the number-one spot.”

The school had set an ambitious goals, aiming to collect over 800kg of cartons per week.

While their collection box at the gate often proved too small, the learners, staff and parents ensured that no carton went to waste.

The competition also addressed critical educational gaps, equipping learners with knowledge about recycling’s role in environmental sustainability.

Lakeside Primary plans to participate again in the upcoming year, aiming for even greater success.

The desks will be used in the new classrooms as some teachers currently lack dedicated classrooms and must rotate.

“The addition of mobile classrooms provided by the Department of Education will help ease this burden. The prize money will be used to construct stairs, providing safer access to the classrooms.”

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