Participants collected a record 18.9 tonnes of waste during the 7th Bodrogi and 14th Tisza PET Cup, held between 15 and 23 August along the river section between Olaszliszka and Tiszalök, the organizers said.
The combined competition involved 12 teams, which collected and sorted almost 19 tonnes of waste from the floodplains of the Bodrog and Tisza rivers.
The amount exceeded the previous record of 17.5 tonnes set on the same route in 2024, when 15 teams took part.
Over three days, participants collected 9.9 tonnes of waste along the Bodrog between Olaszliszka, Szegi, Bodrogkeresztúr and Tokaj. A further 9 tonnes were recovered from floodplain areas along the Tisza, including sections between Tokaj, Tiszaladány and further downstream.
Organizers said the record amount showed that substantial quantities of waste remain in the rivers’ floodplains. Although neither river experienced a major flood this year, participants found waste that had accumulated in floodplain forests over several decades.
Teams worked at several locations, including difficult-to-access areas. Eleven of the 12 participating teams had taken part in previous PET Cup events, allowing them to draw on their experience and established collection techniques.
According to the PET Cup Association, participants have collected a total of 36.4 tonnes of waste in 6,952 sacks during four competitions in the 2026 season.
The combined event also saw the debut of the association’s new waste-collection boat, PETiX, which helped collect sacks and provide logistical support to the teams.
A four-person canoe made from recycled plastic also took part in the event. Most of its material was produced from sorted plastic waste collected from the Tisza and Bodrog rivers.
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