Most of the plastic in our oceans comes from rivers, so it is essential to fight this pollution at its source. But what about rivers that cross several countries, such as the Danube and the Tisza?
We are often told that we are engaged in an ecological race to save the planet. In Hungary, a group of volunteers has understood this well. They meet several times a year for the Plastic Cup (PET Kupa), a competition in which teams compete to collect as much waste as possible.
“The name comes from the American Cup, the famous boat race,” said Gergely Hankó, project manager of PET Kupa, adding: “We thought that making the mission fun could be fun for adults. There are many volunteers. They are really, really amazing. There are companies, NGOs and decision-makers. They are all part of the team.”
Cross-border problem
The latest edition of the Plastic Cup was held on Hungary’s Lake Tisza and the Tisza River, the longest tributary of the Danube. What happens upstream can have a huge impact downstream.
“It comes from upstream countries, including Ukraine and Romania and parts of Slovakia, but we do not blame anyone. To solve the problem, cooperation is needed. That is why we are working on developing a waste management system in Transcarpathia.”
In addition to huge quantities of plastic, including bottles, volunteers frequently find metal cans, tires, batteries and sometimes even refrigerators and televisions.
Nearly 150 volunteers took part in the last clean-up, as one participant testified: “It’s always a pleasure, you make friends, you have fun and you do a good deed.”
Nearly half of the Earth’s surface waters are in river basins shared by at least two countries. They are home to about 40% of the world’s population and account for 60% of global river flow. Within the EU, Brussels has put in place measures such as the Water Framework Directive and the Floods Directive to ensure sustainable management of shared resources.
Highlighting the wider impact of the Plastic Cup initiative, Gergely Hankó says: “Pollution is very present in all rivers in the world. The Danube transfers 1,500 tonnes of plastic, the Tisza about 250 tonnes, and we can eliminate 100 tonnes per year.”
International Danube Day
This year, the Tisza River clean-up took place in conjunction with International Danube Day, an annual event held in several European countries to celebrate the signing of the Danube Protection Convention.
At the Hungarian Water Museum in Esztergom, a special workshop was held to raise children’s awareness of the ecological importance of the Danube.
It was also possible to find out from the managers of the country’s waterways what measures have been taken to combat plastic pollution.
Aware of the complexity of the situation, Örs Antal, from the General Directorate of Water Management in Hungary, said: “Our action is limited to collecting and extracting plastic waste from [rivières comme] the Tisza and its tributaries, and we also have a monitoring system to monitor the evolution of pollution. The situation has improved a lot, which is very good news, but we would take a step towards a sustainable solution by strengthening international cooperation and partnerships.”
Gergely Hankó shares this view and says that greater cooperation will be needed between countries that share surface waters.
“We need the cooperation of stakeholders, businesses, NGOs, decision-makers, everyone to clean the Tisza and the Danube.
In conclusion, he says that prevention will be another key priority in solving the problem of plastic pollution.
“Each country must develop its Extended Producer Responsibility system. So you need a Deposit Return System. And then, you have to deal with producers, work on eco-design, minimize packaging, produce single-material packaging, in short, everyone must reduce the use of materials and reduce the waste generated. It’s not rocket science, you just need logical laws and then actions.”
Using water consciously
Euronews and the European Commission are partnering to promote the European Water Wise campaign #WaterWiseEU. Our series, Water Matters, and the EU campaign aim to raise awareness of the increasing pressure on European river systems and the need for sustainable water management. Water Matters will delve deeper into various water-related issues, highlighting the importance of protecting nature and ecosystems that are an integral part of the water cycle. Through engaging content, Euronews and the European Commission hope to inspire individuals and communities to become #WaterWiseEU.
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