The Pet Cup: an annual effort to clean the Tisza River

The Pet Cup aims to clean the Tisza river from plastic waste with competitors competing on kayaks and improvised boats: this year 2320 bags of waste were collected

The Pet Cup is an annual competition organized by the Hungarian association Pet Kupa, with a truly commendable goal: to clean the Tisza River, a tributary of the Danube, from plastic waste. The 2024 edition saw the participation of 370 competitors divided into 19 teams, known as “Pet Pirates,” who collected a total of 8.3 tons of waste, equivalent to 2,320 bags.

This initiative, started in 2013, aims to raise awareness about the importance of waterway conservation and responsible waste management. The Pet Cup takes place along a 43.5-mile stretch of the Tisza River, between the towns of Tiszafüred and Dinnyéshát.

Participants use kayaks and improvised boats to collect as much waste as possible. The race lasts three days and includes the construction of the boats used, which are then dismantled to recover materials at the end of the competition. The winning team of the 2024 edition was MBH Bank, while the Decathlon team won the prize for the most waste collected per person.

Pollution beyond plastic: the environmental disaster of 2000

Pollution of the Tisza River is a serious issue that has had significant effects on the environment and aquatic life in the region. An environmental disaster occurred in 2000 when a tailings dam at a gold mine in Romania broke, releasing over 26.4 million gallons of toxic waste into the tributaries of the Tisza.

This waste contained high concentrations of cyanide and heavy metals, causing extensive damage. In recent decades, the river has also been plagued by plastic, with bottles and bags harming the aquatic ecosystem. Despite the annual efforts of the Pet Cup, the waste problem persists.

The association emphasizes that waste management in Transcarpathia, a neighboring region, is still inefficient, with nearly 200 settlements lacking an adequate waste transportation system. However, thanks to international and cross-border projects promoted by Pet Kupa, it has been possible in recent years to improve the efficiency of waste treatment facilities and raise awareness among younger generations through educational programs.