OAKLAND, CA--(Marketwire - September 23, 2010) - Brita is empowering students nationwide to turn their passion into action and improve their schools by making them more sustainable through the FilterForGood Eco-Challenge. No idea is too small to make a big difference.
The FilterForGood Eco-Challenge launched in 2008 as a way to fund eco-friendly projects created and led by college students across the country. This year, Brita is expanding the program by opening up the Eco-Challenge to students, teachers and schools -- from kindergarten to college -- to award the best ideas each with a $1,000 grant to turn their green ideas into reality.
"These days students of all ages are passionate about protecting the environment, and they want to do whatever they can to make a difference," said Drew McGowan, Senior Group Manager, Sponsorships at Brita. "Through the FilterForGood Eco-Challenge, we're proud to help fund some of those incredible ideas and continue to promote a sustainable lifestyle."
Past recipients have received $100,000 worth of eco-grants to fund programs that made significant changes to their school's environmental impact. For example, students at University of California Berkeley developed a sustainable food guide for the local community, George Washington University students took a LEED-certified dorm bottled water-free and undergrads at Davidson College in Davidson, N.C. installed eco-friendly gym equipment that produces energy to power lights, laptops and other essentials in the campus Union.
Proposed programs should be action-based or should aim to create tangible results toward producing a more sustainable environment. Each entry will be evaluated on creativity, environmental benefit, educational impact and best use of time and budget.
Applications can be submitted by individuals or as a part of a club, class or school-wide initiative until November 19, 2010 and the recipients will be announced in February 2011. Visit www.filterforgood.com to learn more and submit a grant application.
Want to take the Eco-Challenge? Get started with some ideas from Brita FilterForGood.
- Implement a school-wide composting program to educate students about how to reduce solid waste, increase recycling rates and use the finished compost for landscaping projects.
- Take your school bottled water-free to reduce plastic waste by providing all students and faculty with reusable bottles and installing Brita filtration systems to classroom sinks and keeping Brita pitchers in common areas.
- Promote healthy eating habits by creating a guide to help others learn about local farmers markets, restaurants that use organic ingredients and offer suggestions for nutritious, natural lunches they can pack for school.
- Create a website that offers "paper-less" reading materials and assignments for all classroom resources.
- Purchase bike racks and offer bike lock rentals to encourage students to bike to and from school or campus.
FilterForGood
Brita partnered with Nalgene to launch the FilterForGood campaign, which encourages people to reduce their bottled water waste by switching to reusable bottles filled with filtered water. Since the campaign launched in 2007, more than 212,000* people have taken the pledge to reduce their bottled water waste. Visit filterforgood.com and the Brita FilterForGood Facebook page to learn how you can make a difference.
*Based on number of participants in the FilterForGood pledge database.
Contact Information:
Press Inquiries Only:
Lisa Dorfman
Edelman
lisa.dorfman@edelman.com
312.552.1165
Drew McGowan
Brita
drew.mcgowan@clorox.com
The Brita Products Company
1-800-24-BRITA
www.brita.com/us/contact-brita
