For its exceptional results, the phenomenal project carried out by OSCAR Downstream and the PlaYouth Association was awarded at the Dezvoltăm Romania Sustenabil Gala.
Bucharest, 5 July 2024 - With over 100,000 beneficiaries from 8 counties this year, the Sustainable Recycling Caravan - a campaign run by OSCAR Downstream and the PlaYouth Association - was awarded at the Dezvoltăm Romania Sustenabil Gala for the goals achieved within the Quality Education Sustainable Development Objective.
Organised for the third consecutive year, this prestigious event brings together some of the most representative companies and initiatives in Romania. The recognition confirms OSCAR Downstream's commitment to sustainable development and validates the efforts of Romania's largest independent fuel retailer in the race against time for a sustainable future.
In April, the Creative Recycling Caravan also won 2nd prize in the Environment category at the Romanian CSR Awards - Sustainable Companies Gala.
"The Creative Recycling Caravan is a project that addresses two important vectors in our sustainability strategy - education and the environment. The validation of the results we are achieving is important because it gives us confidence that the project is socially relevant. The initial estimates have been exceeded and we all feel at this moment that the Caravan project is quickly becoming a phenomenon that can transform the Romanian school. We are excited to see the impact it will have in the long term," says Nicolae Bănică, CEO of OSCAR Downstream.
Luiza Dumitru, Communication & Marketing Director OSCAR Downstream, adds: "I don't think anyone on the project team expected the impressive results we had this year - more winners than in 2023, twice as many participants and beneficiaries, and two major sustainability awards. We are already thinking about what the 2025 edition will look like as the Caravan has taken on a life of its own and we want it to reach its full potential. We want to take the Caravan all over the country, while maintaining and supporting the communities we have created so far.
Aimed at teachers and students in pre-university education, the Creative Recycling Caravan is a national project that promotes the creative recycling of waste (upcycling) and awareness of the impact of consumerism on the environment.
After its first two editions, the Creative Recycling Caravan has established creativity and sustainability hubs in 12 counties across the country, reaching over 135,000 indirect beneficiaries who have begun to gradually transform local communities.
This year, the project reached the counties of Sălaj, Bistrița Năsăud, Arad, Timiș, Satu Mare, Maramureș, Cluj and Bihor, and involved more than 1,300 teachers from 210 educational units. The impact is significant: over 100,000 indirect beneficiaries (36,000 pupils, 60,000 parents and 5,000 teachers from the participating schools).
The 39 winning schools of this year's edition were represented by around 5,000 students and 200 teachers.
The first prize was awarded to a set of 8 educational units: Sebiș Theoretical High School, Sebiș (Arad), Secondary School no. 1, Botean (Bihor), Octavian Goga Secondary School, Baia Mare (Maramureș), Porolissum Secondary School, Zalău (Sălaj), CSEI Lacrima, Unirea (Bistrita Năsăud), Simion Bărnutiu Technical High School, Carei (Satu Mare), Emil National College Racoviță, Cluj Napoca (Cluj) and Grădinița with PP no. 32, Timișoara (Timiș). The 40 teachers who coordinated the winning teams will attend a socio-educational animation camp at Băile Felix between 15 and 18 July.
"We are grateful to all the participants of the Creative Recycling Caravan - 2024 edition for the complexity, ingenuity and enthusiasm of the reports sent to the jury for evaluation. We were impressed by the cooperation, commitment and creativity of these teachers and we were happy to be able to award more III prizes and mentions compared to the previous edition", says Ana Stănescu, President of the PlaYouth Association.
The full list of this year's winners can be found here.
All the details of the #CaravanaReciclariiCreative project can be found on https://playouth.ro/portfolio/caravana-reciclarii-creative/ and on the project's Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/caravanareciclariicreative/.
