To celebrate Countdown’s successful phase-out of single-use plastic bags the supermarket has announced the launch of its new Growing for Goods grants programme. The new campaign offers primary schools throughout New Zealand the opportunity to undertake environmental initiatives and projects led by Kiwi kids. Growing for Goods gives up to 20 grants of up to $1000 for young kiwi gardeners, conservationists and environmentalists.
Countdown’s general manager of corporate affairs and sustainability Kiri Hannifin said that they had been inundated with letters and email from passionate kiwi kids.
“If the letters and emails we receive are anything to go by, Kiwi kids are incredibly passionate about the environment and have heaps of great ideas about what we need to do to protect it. We want to help invest in our kids to lead the charge for a greener future.”
“We’re really pleased to be able to offer primary schools across New Zealand an opportunity to support kids to undertake their own environmental projects, helping foster the passion and skills we need for the next generation to take our country into the future.”
“We’ve heard some amazing ideas from children who have written to us over the year, which we’d love to be able to support such as school beehives, planting native plants and trees, and laying vegetable gardens or starting orchards. We’d also love to hear from kids with ideas about how we can reduce things like food waste - an issue really close to our hearts here at Countdown.”
The announcement comes just two weeks after Countdown handed out its last single-use plastic carrier bag, two and half months ahead of schedule. The phase-out has prevented more than 50 million bags from entering the New Zealand waste-stream since May.
Applications for the grants are open from today and will continue until the end of November. Criteria and applications forms can be found at www.countdown.co.nz/growingforgood
