Creativity and innovation is the name of the game for those entering for the 2013 Best Recycled Plastic Product of the Year Competition for which the closing date is around the corner.

September is traditionally the month in which South Africans from all walks of life are encouraged to clean-up and recycle where they work, live or play.

Ocean conservation pioneer Dr. Carl Safina and an international team of scientists, artists and educators recently set forth on a marine debris expedition to the giant rotating ocean current that is the North Pacific Gyre.

Considering that we produce about 300 million tons of plastic per year, the bulk of which is not being reused or recycled, reports of disturbingly polluted oceans are bound to only get more shocking in time.

To say our growing stockpiles of non-degradable plastic waste are an environmental headache has to be the understatement of the century. However, thanks to Somerset West inventor William Graham, this highly problematic waste has just become a valuable resource.

19-year-old Boyan Slat has unveiled plans to create an Ocean Cleanup Array that could remove 7,250,000 tons of plastic waste from the world’s oceans.

Did you know that 45% of used plastic beverage bottles are now recycled in our country, saving 75 420 tonnes of carbon per year? Congratulations go to PETCO for their excellent efforts to protect our environment.

Scores of firefighters, volunteers and Working on Fire crew were deployed to temper the fires in the Franschhoek Mountains. Friends rose to the occasion with the generous donation of bottled water, beverages and food.

The South African plastics industry will be debating various issues that impact on its growth and future prospects with the first-ever industry specific conference, coming in March.

The names of the winning schools that entered the sixth annual Clean-Up & Recycle Competition have now been announced.

Earlier this year, 3 recycling projects were launched in the Eastern Cape, which have received support via the provision of equipment for their operations.

According to an annual survey of the plastics recycling industry in SA, the recycling of plastics has shown a year-to-year increase in the total tonnage being converted since the 2009 survey.

Last month, a groundbreaking workshop was held in Joburg, bringing together key entrepreneurs who all shared one goal: changing the face of recycling in the Gauteng region.

Households and businesses in the Pretoria region are being urged to recycle their polystyrene. Used and recycled polystyrene can find a second life in a wide variety of different products, including picture frames, stationery and seedling trays.

A responsible local polystyrene recycling company has assisted a neighbouring country with the setting up of an industry body to oversee the recycling of polystyrene.

What happens to my PET plastic bottles once I've sent them to be recycled? Is it worth my while and what are they turned into? These questions come up often when we engage around recycling. Now you can see what happens and how useful it is to look after all resources. Here is a new video aimed at raising awareness around the ins and outs of the Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) bottle recycling process.

Miss Earth South Africa recently visited two schools in the Langa Township to teach the children about trees and help them plant 30 of their own in celebration of World Environment Week.

The Southern African Plastic Pipe Manufacturers Association has announced that lead has been eliminated from all locally-manufactured plastic pipe products and that all plastic pipes manufactured by its members are guaranteed to be free of heavy metals.

The eyes of the world will be focused on the health of our oceans when World Oceans Day is celebrated on Friday, 8 June.

Entries are now open for the third annual “Best Recycled Plastics Product of the Year” Competition.