Plastics SA is proud to announce that it will be supporting the newly elected Miss Earth SA 2021, Nompumelelo Maduna, as she prepares to represent South Africa on the international stage at the end of the year.

“It is with great pride that we now partner with Plastics SA and we are excited to once again work with the organisation and its members as we prepare for Nompumelelo’s participation and representation in the international Miss Earth 2021 which will be taking place virtually over the next six weeks, due to the global health pandemic,” says Ella Bella Leite, Director of Miss Earth South Africa.

The Miss Earth programme is a leadership programme focused on greening the hearts and minds of young South African women. However, lockdown restrictions has kept the Miss Earth team from working the ground and from visiting schools and communities the way that they did prior to Covid-19, forcing them to re-look their traditional way of working and impacting society. Although the focus of her Green Journey for 2021 will be on a vegetable garden development project in Kliptown, Soweto, as part of a feeding programme for the impoverished community, Nompumelelo will also be using her voice and influence on the global platform to help raise awareness about the dangers of pollution entering the marine environment as part of the organisation’s #WasteStopsWithMe campaign.

“Plastics are a very important and useful material for our modern society. There is not a single aspect of our lives that doesn’t rely on plastics to make it more efficient, easier or cost-effective. However, it is important for us to get the message out as far and wide as possible that plastics should not end up in the environment where it risks the health, safety and well-being of humans, animals and marine life,” says Anton Hanekom, Executive Director of Plastics SA.

To assist Nompumelelo on her journey and in her various clean-up and gardening activities, she was gifted with two pairs of PVC gumboots donated by Silver Lining Gumboots in KwaZulu-Natal. These stylish gumboots are as much at home in a mall as they are in a mud puddle and are shipped to international markets such as New Zealand where it is gaining in popularity.

“Our gumboots are not only fashionable and functional, but also kind to the environment. The Classic Gumboot is made with a waterproof PVC toffee sole and black recycled upper, while the shorter Umhlanga Chelsea-style is ideal for easy slip-on and is adorned with our unique cloud stud, adding a touch of style to this classic gumboot style. A thick insole is inserted for comfort and good fit, making these boots nothing like the standard, clumpy versions which can be found in local hardware stores. Whether Miss Earth SA is involved in a beach or river clean-up, digging in a community garden or walking the streets of Mzanzi on her education campaigns, we know she will always look stylish wearing her gumboots made from 100 % recycled PVC,” say Liz Payne and Cally van Blerk, owners of Silver Lining Gumboots.
“Our best wishes accompany Nompumelelo and the rest of the Miss Earth team as they prepare for the international competition. As an industry and as a country we stand behind her and know that she will do us proud as she promotes the use of our Earth’s resources in a responsible manner and represents our nation and brands respectively,” Anton concludes.