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The Eco Design Initiative 2010 is now calling for entries from emerging designers in South Africa – all schools of design are welcome. You have until 30 April to submit your sustainable creation that is a durable product or service that minimises adverse impacts on the environment, whilst making every day life simpler and more pleasant.

Behind the initiative is a campaign that encourages growth and transformation of entrepreneurial concepts in South Africa. The idea is to encourage designers and industry to 'rethink' the way they do things, and the campaign includes the Eco Design Competition, the Fresh Talent Workshop and showcase opportunities both in South Africa and Sweden.

To enter the competition, you'll need to submit a story board of your design concept along with your motivation for the materials and processes used in building the concept. 25 entries will make it to the qualifying selection and will be produced with materials sourced from industry – these materials must comply with basic environmental standards; they either need to be produced naturally, organically, without any harm to the environment or they should be "waste" that can be reworked to create durable design for every day.

The promising designers will be part of the Fresh Talent Workshop in Cape Town in September 2010, and the workshop will be facilitated by representatives of Sweden's environmental design movement - The Eco Design Initiative is supported by the Swedish Industrial Design Foundation, SVID, which is convinced that design delivers a good return on investment.

Apokalyps Labotek are also involved. They're winners of Wallpaper's Best Recycled Design Award 2010. During the Fresh Talent Workshop, the group will be challenged to collaborate in creating an eco-environment for people's work, play or living needs.

All of the work produced for the Eco Design Initiative (qualifying entries as well as Fresh Talent project) will be showcased at exhibitions and galleries in South Africa and Scandinavia. The competition showcase is set for the Natural & Organic Show in Johannesburg, which attracts close to 30 000 visitors during the event's three day duration. Following that, the design pieces will be "exported" to Sweden to be exhibited at various exhibitions in Stockholm and Malmö.

Entry to the Eco Design Competition is open until 30 April 2010

The Show and Awards Ceremony will be held at the Natural & Organic Show 27 - 29 Aug 2010

The Fresh Talent workshop will be hosted in Cape Town 6 - 10 September 2010

Source: nokak.com