Most plastic in our oceans comes from rivers, so tackling that pollution at its source is essential. But how do you do that in rivers that flow through several countries, like the Danube and Tisza? Water Matters went to Hungary to meet the teams trying to do just that.
We're often told we’re in an ecological race to save the planet. In Hungary, a group of volunteers have taken that idea to heart. Every few months they gather for the Plastic Cup (PET Kupa), a competition where teams go up against each other to collect as much junk as possible.
“The name comes from the American Cup, the famous boat race, said PET Kupa’s Project Manager, Gergely Hankó, adding: “We thought gamification would be good for adults. We have a lot of volunteers. They are really, really amazing. We have the companies, the NGOs, and the decision-makers. Everybody is forming the team.”
Transboundary issue
The most recent Plastic Cup meeting was held on Hungary’s Lake Tisza and the Tisza River, the Danube’s longest tributary. What happens upstream can have a huge impact further down the river.
“It’s coming from the upstream countries, mostly Ukraine and Romania and some parts of Slovakia, but we’re not pointing to anybody. It’s [about] cooperation to solve the problem, so that’s why we are working in Transcarpathia to develop the waste management system.”
In addition to huge amounts of plastic, for instance bottles, volunteers frequently fish out metal cans, tyres, batteries and sometimes even fridges and televisions.
Around 150 volunteers joined the latest clean-up, with one participant noting: “It’s always good fun, we’re making friends and having a blast while doing good.”
Nearly half of Earth's surface waters are in river basins shared by at least two countries, These support around 40% of the world's population and account for 60% of global river flow. In the EU, Brussels has implemented frameworks like the Water Framework Directive and the Floods Directive to ensure sustainable management of shared resources.
Highlighting the broader impact of the Plastic Cup initiative, Gergely says: “There is a lot of pollution in every river globally. The Danube transfers 1,500 tonnes of plastic, the Tisza around 250 tonnes, and we can stop 100 tonnes per year.”
Danube Day
This year’s clean-up on the River Tisza also coincided with Danube Day, an annual event held across several European countries to mark the signing of the Danube River Protection Convention.
At Hungary’s Water Museum in Esztergom, there was a special workshop to teach children about the Danube’s ecological importance.
It was also a chance to find out from those managing the country’s waterways what’s being done to tackle plastic pollution.
Admitting the situation is complex, Örs Antal from Hungary’s General Directorate of Water Management said: “What we can practically do is to collect and remove plastic waste from [rivers like] the Tisza and its tributaries, and we also have a monitoring system to observe pollution. The situation has improved a lot, which is very good news, but a step towards a lasting solution would be if we could strengthen international cooperation and partnership.”
Agreeing with those sentiments, Gergely says more cooperation will be needed between countries that share surface waters.
“We need cooperative stakeholders, companies, NGOs, decision-makers - everybody to clean up the Tisza basin and the Danube basin as well.
Summing up, he says another key priority to addressing the plastic pollution puzzle will be prevention.
“Every country has to develop their Extended Producer Responsibility System. Then you need a Deposit Return System. And then, you have to deal with the producers, you have to work on eco-design, you have to minimise the packaging, you have to produce mono-materialised packaging, so everybody has to minimise the material use and shrink the generated waste. It's not rocket science, it’s just very logical legislation and then action.”
Getting wise to water
Euronews and the European Commission are partnering to promote the EU's Water Wise campaign, #WaterWiseEU. Our series, Water Matters, and the EU campaign aim to raise awareness about the increasing stress on Europe's water systems and the need for sustainable water management. Water Matters will delve into various water-related issues, highlighting the importance of protecting nature and ecosystems integral to the water cycle. Through engaging content, Euronews and the European Commission hope we can inspire individuals and communities to become #WaterWiseEU.
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