Those working to better our environment deserve to be recognised too

22 May 2020

By Nicole Borg

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In a society that is constantly leaving a huge impact on climate, most times not a positive impact, we need active people that remind us that in order for humanity to have a brighter and bigger future, it needs to also protect its environment.

The JCI Ten Outstanding Young Persons (TOYP) Awards aim to recognise 10 young people (afed 18-40) coming from different sectors of society who have proven themselves to be true leaders of positive change. One such award is the ‘Moral and/or Environmental Leadership’.

This award is for those who have adopted sustainable practices relating to efficiency in use of water, waste, packaging, transport, and energy, contributing to the reduction of our carbon footprint by means of these and other innovative solutions.

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Past Winner – Amy Sargeant

The past winner of this award (previously named Environmental Sustainability) was Amy Sargeant. Amy Sargent has been working tirelessly on finding alternate materials to use instead of plastic bags for fruits and vegetables in supermarkets. Alongside her co-founder, Reuben Spiteri, she created veco with the aim of offering sustainable products to all. The first product to launch was a reusable fruit and vegetable bag made from recycled plastic. This came about following plenty of research in plastic use and waste as well as different sustainable materials. Amy and her co-founder really wanted to use an RPET material to ensure that we were not adding to plastic generation. It was not an easy task to find 100% certified RPET bags & pouches but they finally created the right product and are now pushing to create more awareness through various online platforms. Amy has now become even more aware of the changes everyone can make in the world and intends on coming up with more alternatives to single-use plastic.

10 JCI Malta TOYP winners to be nominated for an Award in Johannesburg

The JCI Malta version of the TOYP Awards will lead the 10 chosen winners to be nominated for the JCI Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World Programme (JCI TOYP) where they will compete with nominees from all around the world to win this same award, but on an international scale! Next year, the awards ceremony will be held in Johannesburg, South Africa in November.

TOYP History

The original TOYP program was developed by Durwood Howes, President of The United States Junior Chamber of Commerce during 1930 – 1931. He conceived the idea of recognising outstanding individuals by publishing a yearbook entitled ‘America’s Young Men’ which highlighted the work of 12 exemplary leaders each year.

The United States Junior Chamber officially adopted the program in 1938. Since 1952, numerous JCI National Organisations have established their own Outstanding Young Persons Programs. Past recipients of national awards include well-known personalities such as Orson Welles, Howard Hughes, Nelson Rockefeller, John F. Kennedy, Henry Kissinger, Gerald Ford, Benigno Aquino, and many more, all named before the age of 40 and before they had achieved national prominence.

In 1983, JCI officially adopted the JCI Ten Outstanding Persons of the World Programme. Since then, JCI has honoured hundreds of individuals from more than 50 nations.

This award is sponsored by APS bank.