eWASA ECO Awards 2026
Celebrating measurable progress across South Africa’s waste management value chain.
The eWASA ECO Awards recognise schools, municipalities, buy-back centres, recyclers, innovators, businesses and community groups that can demonstrate how their work reduces waste, strengthens recycling, advances circular-economy practices and delivers environmental or social value.
The judging process focuses on measurable results and verifiable evidence. A judging panel scores every entry against a rubric, reviews the supporting evidence and moderates the results before they are ratified
Key dates
Entries open | Tuesday 1 September 2026, 08:00 |
Entries close | Friday 30 September 2026, 17:00. No extensions. |
Finalists notified | Tuesday 3 November 2026 |
Awards ceremony | Thursday 26 November 2026, The Capital Empire Hotel, Sandton |
Entries are open for four weeks. We cannot consider late or incomplete entries, so start early and use the category guide below to confirm which evidence you will need.
How the awards work
- Choose your category. The 12 categories recognise work across different parts of the waste value chain. Use the guide below to find the category that best fits your work.
- Complete the online form. Each category has a dedicated short-answer form covering your organisation, your results and your supporting evidence.
- Email your evidence to info@ewasa.org. Include data summaries, photographs, weighbridge slips, partner confirmations or other records that support your results.
- Verification. Judges may contact you or a partner, referee or participant named in your entry to verify a claim before they finalise the score.
- Results. We will notify finalists privately in early November and announce the winners at the awards ceremony on 26 November 2026.
The ECO Awards are judged, not decided by public vote. Judges assess measurable results and verified evidence, so social media reach does not influence the outcome.
Before you start
- Read the category guide below to understand what the judges will assess.
- Gather your evidence before you begin. Useful evidence may include before-and-after data, tonnages, photographs and confirmations from partners or participants. Entries without adequate supporting evidence will score lower across the relevant criteria.
- If your evidence includes another person’s personal information, such as a partner, referee or participant, tell them that you plan to include it. Read our privacy notice to understand how we use and protect this information.
- You may submit one entry per organisation in each category. You may enter more than one category if your work meets the relevant criteria.
- Entries close at 17:00 on 30 September 2026. We cannot reopen an entry after the deadline.
Category guide
1. Best Waste Smart School
Who can enter: Primary, secondary or combined schools, including public and independent schools, that can demonstrate measurable results over at least one school year.
What judges assess: Reduction in waste to landfill (30%) · Increased recycling rates (25%) · Education initiatives (25%) · Community participation (10%) · Measurable impact and innovation (10%)
2. Best Buy-Back Centre
Who can enter: Formal or informal buy-back centres operating in South Africa that can provide evidence of activity over at least 12 months.
What judges assess: Waste diversion or tonnage handled (35%) · Recycling system performance (25%) · Education and awareness (15%) · Community and socio-economic impact (15%) · Innovation (10%)
3. Best Municipality
Who can enter: Local or metropolitan municipalities, or entities responsible for municipal waste services, that can provide evidence covering at least the previous 12 months.
What judges assess: Reduction in waste to landfill (35%) · Recycling and separation at source (25%) · Education and behaviour change (15%) · Community participation and inclusion (15%) · Governance, impact and innovation (10%)
4. Circular Economy Innovation Award
Who can enter: Organisations or individuals implementing circular-economy solutions with the potential to scale.
What judges assess: Level of innovation (25%) · Scalability (20%) · Environmental impact (25%) · Commercial viability (15%) · Industry influence (15%)
5. Best Innovation in Product Design
Who can enter: Designers, manufacturers and brands that have implemented products with measurable sustainability features.
What judges assess: Reduced material use (20%) · Recycled content (20%) · Repairability (15%) · Recyclability (25%) · Measurable benefits (20%)
6. Best Innovation in Recycling
Who can enter: Recyclers, technology developers and research institutions that have implemented an innovation in recycling.
What judges assess: Improved recycling rates (30%) · Efficiency gains (20%) · Overcoming barriers (25%) · Economic viability (15%) · Innovation quality (10%)
7. Best Innovation in Secondary Resources / Beneficiation
Who can enter: Manufacturers and businesses that use recovered or recycled material in new products.
What judges assess: Innovative material use (25%) · Market acceptance (20%) · Product performance (25%) · Environmental benefit (20%) · Economic benefit (10%)
8. Sustainability Champion of the Year
Who can enter: Companies, non-profit organisations, municipalities and institutions that lead and implement sustainability initiatives.
What judges assess: Leadership commitment (25%) · Measurable environmental impact (25%) · Innovation (20%) · Long-term sustainability strategy (20%) · Stakeholder engagement (10%)
9. Environmental Education & Awareness Award
Who can enter: Schools, non-profit organisations, educators, community organisations and companies that deliver environmental education or awareness programmes.
What judges assess: Behaviour change (30%) · Programme reach (25%) · Sustainability of the initiative (25%) · Community engagement (20%)
Note: This category has four weighted criteria.
10. Green Small Business Award
Who can enter: Small and medium enterprises operating in the waste or sustainability sector.
What judges assess: Environmental impact (25%) · Business growth (20%) · Job creation (20%) · Innovation (20%) · Commercial sustainability (15%)
11. Communities Who Make a Difference
Who can enter: Community groups, cooperatives and local initiatives that can demonstrate environmental and social results.
What judges assess: Environmental improvement (25%) · Collaboration (20%) · Income creation (20%) · Replicability (20%) · Social impact (15%)
12. Most Impactful Recycler
Who can enter: Recycling operators of any size or material stream that can demonstrate performance over a defined period.
What judges assess: Volume recycled (30%) · Diversion rate (25%) · Programme consistency (20%) · Innovation (15%) · Stakeholder value (10%)
How scoring works
Judges independently assess every entry: two external experts and one eWASA technical representative. They score each criterion from 0, where the entry provides no evidence, to 5, where the evidence demonstrates an outstanding, high-impact and replicable result. The published weighting converts these scores to a total out of 100, and the average of the three judges’ totals determines the category’s final score. Judges may request clarification or additional information. They may also conduct reference checks or site visits for shortlisted entries in selected categories before finalising the results.
Privacy
We use the personal and organisational information you submit to assess your entry, verify your evidence and communicate with you about the awards. If we select you as a finalist or winner, we may publish your name and relevant award details. We do not publish full entries or supporting evidence.
Frequently asked questions
Can I enter more than one category?
Yes. You may enter each category for which your organisation or initiative meets the criteria, but you may submit only one entry per organisation in each category.
What counts as evidence?
You may submit data summaries, before-and-after figures, photographs, receipts, weighbridge slips, partner or participant confirmations, case studies or other records that support the claims in your entry. Judges give more weight to specific, dated and verifiable evidence than to general statements.
Can I submit evidence after the closing date?
No. Entries close at 17:00 on 30 September 2026. Allow enough time to gather and upload all your evidence before the deadline.
How do I upload supporting files?
Email info@ewasa.org with your evidence. Please include the name of the person who completed the form so we can assign the evidence to the correct entry.
Will my entry be made public?
We may publish the names and relevant award details of finalists and winners. Full entries and supporting evidence remain confidential and are used only for the judging process.
Whom can I contact if I need help?
Email info@ewasa.org.