Hippo.co.za is the latest in a line of socially-concerned corporates to start recycling used and expired billboard faces for a good cause. The company has embraced the innovative CSI concept, conceived by public relations and media company, PR Worx, to recycle vinyl billboards for making DeskBags for underprivileged school children, and will now be donating all of its used billboards to the initiative.
Since joining the initiative, Hippo.co.za has donated 13 billboard faces to PR Worx’s DeskBags. These will produce about 135 DeskBags which will soon, through corporate sponsorship, be distributed to needy schools free of charge.
Hippo.co.za’s Amanda Thomas says the company is thrilled to be part of the initiative which is providing a temporary and cost-effective solution to the lack of desks in South African schools, while helping to keep used billboards from being dumped in already overflowing landfill sites.
“Hippo.co.za, like all companies worldwide, is under pressure to reduce the impact of its business on the environment. We take our obligation to reduce our carbon footprint and promote a healthier environment very seriously, and so we are always looking for ways to make a meaningful contribution. This initiative gives us an opportunity to show our commitment to environmental sustainability by recycling and also uplifting school learners in need,” says Thomas.
DeskBags are not only functional eco-friendly school bags, but also provide a portable desk solution. The bag allows the child to carry his or her books and stationery, while the flap is reinforced with durable ABS plastic, that when folded open, allows for instant desk support too. The product is made from the vinyl of recycled billboards, and is so robust that if looked after well, can last a whole school career. The bags are waterproof, reflective, and light enough for pre-primary scholars to use.
According to PR Worx’s Madelain Roscher, “Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga revealed in a written reply to a parliamentary question that schools across South Africa need three million desks, and with these alarming statistics in mind, DeskBags was conceived as a temporary solution to this immense problem.
