PET Cup to Clean the Tisza River

The field of the 8th PET Cup started out on Monday. The crew of the boats made of recycled materials participating in the competition are expected to free the section of the Tisza between Záhony and Tokaj from several tons of river waste in the next week.

Attila Dávid Molnár, the president of the Természetfilm.hu (‘Nature film’) Association, where the original idea comes from, talked about the fact that about 160 participants of this year's event will continue where they left off last year: in 2019, the river was freed of plastic and other waste on the nearly eighty-kilometer section between Tivadar and Záhony. The cleaned section of the river remained clean with the help of the water authority and the police, as the mass of waste coming from abroad can already be stopped by professionals, so the shorelines have become virtually waste-free.

The eleven boats and the three lifeguards accompanying them started from the floating port of Záhony, also made of waste, on Monday morning. After completing water distances of 10-20 river kilometers per day, members the fleet terminate at different locations. Onshore programs include lectures, educational and entertaining competitions on the cultural treasures, natural history and waste recycling of the Tisza – those interested are welcome to these events. On the rest day of August 5, the team will travel to Cigánd and Bodrogköz, and the announcement of the results and the closing concert will be held on August 8 at the campsite in Rakamaz.