Ad agencies keen2bgreen

Ad agencies are a little greener and more environmentally aware, thanks to an initiative that saw the launch of ‘Keen2bgreen with Getaway’ during July. The brand’s sales teams dropped off recycling bins in leading agencies in Johannesburg and Cape Town – and Getaway will pick up the tab for their ongoing collection.

At agency functions around the country, presentations on the state of the environment and how recycling can make a significant difference were made by MD of waste collection company Wasteplan, Bertie Lourens, and Getaway marketing services manager Dawn Comninos. Agency staff received gifts of indigenous herbs and plants and a recycling champion was chosen at each agency – and got the branded Keen2bgreen t-shirt to show for it.

The initiative didn’t end there. The recycle bins were bought from Postwink, a plastics manufacturer whose stated aim is to promote a recycling culture and which offsets its carbon footprint by donating a percentage of its delivery costs to Food and Trees for Africa, while the plant containers were made by an enterprising previously disadvantaged craftsman.

“As travel writers, we at Getaway want to do all we can to preserve the magical places we visit and write about, but to be successful, we need others to be socially and environmentally responsible, too,” explained Getaway editor Cameron Ewart-Smith. “The agency campaign enables us to spread the word and bring others on board in a fun and constructive way.”

Getaway has a long history of environmental and social responsibility efforts. The most recent of these include tree planting at a Cape Flats school in partnership with Greenpop and Facebook campaigns to raise funds for SANNCOB and the WWF’s African Rhino Campaign.

As one of the brands in the RamsayMedia stable, Getaway also participates in the company’s environmental undertaking, where all dry waste – paper, plastic, glass and tin – is recycled.