The participants of the Marosi PET Cup collected more than three and a half tons of waste

(Photo: Pixabay)

According to the announcement, the Tisza PET Cup has been organizing waste collection competitions for more than ten years, this time they undertook to clean another tributary. The groups of the settlements along the Maros River dedicated to environmental protection have been working on cleaning the river for years, and the PET Cup has now come to their aid, passing on the river saving experience. Thanks to the continuous rains and floods, the fast-flowing Maros showed its rare face during the action from Thursday to Sunday, and taught the participating “fishermen” a lesson. The organizers noticed more waste than expected: the recent floods have added another dose to the former garbage islands.

About four fifths of the 3.6 tonnes of waste collected are plastic bottles that float on water with ease

The river brings most of this from across the border. Among the waste, the participants also found refrigerators, TV sets, insulating materials, plastic chairs, metal barrels, car body parts, rubber boats and hazardous waste – paint, insecticides, oil bottles. Rowing along the 36-kilometer river, 100-150 islands of pill bottle waste mixed with driftwood emerged, which were mainly caught by fallen trees from the coast. Thanks to public utilities, collection and utilization companies, as well as innovative, small-scale industry solutions, the PET Kupa has grown into the largest recycler of river waste during its more than ten years of operation as a non-governmental organization. About 60 percent of the waste collected and separated into different fractions is recycled.

On Sunday, on the closing day of the Marosi PET Cup, the participants cleaned the river section between Desk and Szeged

Then it was decided in the last kilometers who would be the winner. In the end, PETúnia’s team of veteran pirates, leading all the way, finished first, earning the Hero of Maros award. Thanks to the main sponsor Diageo, the organizers of the PET Cup will create a Floyómentő Horgonyhele in Mako, next to the Adventure Park, in order to help the local garbage collection campaigns. This serves as a base for water and floodplain cleaning campaigns: it provides volunteers with bags and gloves. Its purpose is also to introduce interested parties to the activities of the PET Cup with exhibitions and workshops, and to provide the volunteers participating in the river rescue with an opportunity to rest and recharge.

MTI