Participants of the Tisza PET Cup have eliminated nearly 70 tons of pollutants in the river in 7 years. However, in order not to contaminate the restored areas with more flood or plastic, the Tisza countries need to cooperate.

The first tasks include accurate mapping of the waste situation along the river and shaping the views of river communities. This is a unique opportunity for the Nature Film.hu Association's environmental initiative, the Tisza PET Cup.

Three of the organizers of the Tisza PET Cup took part on September 17, 2019 in the International Business Forum "Partnerships for Greater Development Impact". At the event, International Investment Bank (IIB) issued a grant of EUR 50,000 for the implementation of the Clean Water Happy Tisza project. Project English name - "Plastic Pollution Prevention Project - Clean Water, Happy Tisza".

"IIB, which moved its headquarters to Budapest from September, has become the only international investment bank in the region," said Finance Minister Mihály Varga in his opening speech.

Nikolay Kosov, Chairperson of the IIB Management Board, said at the launch ceremony: "sustainability is one of the Bank's core values, and we have been committed to supporting projects in this area ever since 2015"

The River Tisza originates in Ukraine, passing through Romania and Slovakia, passing through Hungary. In Serbia, it flows into the Danube, which leads the blonde river water into the Black Sea through Romania. Therefore, the results of the project will hopefully have a positive impact on the protection of the riverine nature and wildlife of these countries and on the attitude of the people living in the area (3 of these countries are also members of the IIB).

"The Clean Water, Happy Tisza project gives us the opportunity to map the river from its source to the Danube, across 5 countries, while conducting research and measurements," said Gergely Hankó, project officer, project coordinator and Environmental Service Managing Director of the Manufacturers Association. "We are making 966 kilometers of 4P Expedition experience and research results available to everyone through our online interfaces and the November 2020 Eco-Industry Expo," he added.

Another important element of the project, following the mapping of contaminated sites ("Waste Map"), is improving the online communication of the PET Cup initiative and making the website and a new application interactive. The site will serve educational and awareness-raising purposes, providing practical tips and solutions for waste reduction, and a free application to help water hikers, anglers, hikers and river basin residents become involved in nature conservation by adding new or existing contaminated areas.

The Clean Water, Happy Tisza Project will begin in October 2019 and will close in December 2020.