PET Cup Waste Collection on Lake Tisza

The Second Lake Tisza for river cleaning and waste collection started this Sunday from Tiszafüred with the participation of eleven teams.

The teams paddle down the Tisza to Kiskörös in boats they have made from bottles, collecting waste accumulated on the river.

The organisers are working across borders and with several countries to tackle the problem of international river pollution. Last autumn, seven tons of waste were collected in the floodplain of the lake, but the floods in January and May brought large amounts of rubbish from Ukraine and Romania.

The teams will be supported by a rapid response waste collection boat, the PETII, which debuted last year, and the M.V. PETényi, a waste collection boat built earlier from community fundraising and floating on pill bottles, will also be at the event.

The mother ship, which plays a central role, has been on the water for five years, carrying as much as 1.5-2 tons of waste on some days. A full refit became necessary in the spring.

PET Cup results so far: 115 waste vessels, 165 tonnes of waste, 403 contaminated sites monitored, 67 sites cleaned up.