Aquatic Plastic Podcast #6

Listen now!

Co-Creation on the Danube: How Collaboration Can Clean Our Rivers

What happens when passionate people, innovative ideas and a shared love for clean water come together? You get Aquatic Plastic — a podcast dedicated to rivers, seas, and the fight against pollution.

In the latest episode, hosts David Attila Molnár and Gary Hanko take us deep into the world of co-creation — a process that goes far beyond meetings and lectures. Instead of talking to each other, co-creation is about talking with each other, working side by side to solve big problems.

Why Co-Creation Matters

Cleaning up rivers is not something that can be done by one person, one organization, or one government. It takes fishermen and policymakers, students and scientists — in short, everyone. Co-creation brings these diverse voices to the same table. By opening space for dialogue, it uncovers hidden talents, builds trust, and sparks solutions no single group could have imagined alone.

Meet the Experts

This episode welcomes two inspiring guests: Kinga Illyés and Tímea Rózsa, consultants and coaches from the Integrated Consulting Group. Their mission? To help people connect in meaningful ways, whether across generations, cultures, or professional backgrounds. In Bratislava, they transformed our partner workshop into a vibrant, interactive experience — where instead of passively listening, participants experimented, collaborated, and learned from each other in real time.

The Secret Ingredients

What makes their approach so powerful?

Atmosphere: From music and seating arrangements to welcoming visuals, every detail is designed to make people feel at home.
Dialogue: Small-group discussions, fun icebreakers, and safe spaces for all voices ensure no idea gets lost.
Preparation & Follow-Up: Asking the right questions before and after an event helps participants turn new knowledge into real action.
And many more little details, tools and methodologies.

The result? A ripple effect across the Danube region. Slovenia, Romania, Bulgaria, and Hungary have already held their own co-creation workshops — and the momentum is growing.

Why You Should Listen

This is more than a podcast about pollution. It’s a story of people finding new ways to work together, to overcome challenges, and to protect something we all depend on: clean, living water. Whether you’re passionate about the environment, curious about collaboration, or simply looking for a spark of hope, this episode will leave you inspired.

Tune in to Episode 6 of Aquatic Plastic and discover how co-creation can change not just our rivers, but the way we work together.

Because in the end, saving our rivers isn’t just about plastic. It’s about people. And together, we can make waves.

About Aquatic Plastic

Aquatic Plastic is brought to you by the Interreg Danube Region Programme, co-funded by the European Union. Operating within the world's most international river basin, the Aquatic Plastic Danube-Region Interreg project unites 33 organizations spanning 10 countries. Together, we are executing 19 pilot actions and developing 8 solutions aimed at preventing, reducing, and managing plastic pollution in the natural waterways of the Danube River Basin. How do we navigate through such diverse borders? Explore further by delving into our report, and begin following our journey on LinkedIn and other social media platforms.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro: Welcome to Aquatic Plastic

The hosts introduce Episode 6 of Aquatic Plastic, focusing on rivers, plastic pollution, and how collaboration can create real change.

02:27 Meet the Guests: Kinga & Tímea

Consultants and facilitators Kinga Illyés and Tímea Rózsa join to share their experience in transforming meetings into engaging, co-creative spaces.

“We strive for creating dialogue. And I think that’s the most important.”

05:35 What is Co-Creation?

The guests explain co-creation: bringing together diverse stakeholders — from policymakers to fishermen — to share knowledge and build solutions together.

“We are in the same boat. We are having the same problems, but we have different roles in tackling these.”

10:13 The Atmosphere of Collaboration

From room layouts to background music, creating the right environment helps participants feel safe, open, and ready to share ideas.

“If you enter and the feeling is rigid and cold, you will not have the motivation to share your ideas.”

13:36 Cornerstones of Facilitation

Kinga and Tímea describe the small but powerful principles — like clear goals, icebreakers, and name tags — that help strangers connect quickly.

“One thing that is very important is always to define the aim, the purpose of the event.”

20:28 Why Professionals Matter

The hosts reflect on how expert facilitation changes outcomes, ensuring events move beyond routine presentations toward true collaboration.

“If you want to skip it, it’s just not going to work… that’s why you need professionals.”

23:29 Bridging Generations & Cultures

Workshops often bring together participants of different ages and backgrounds, requiring sensitivity and adaptable tools to include everyone.

“We are pushing them a bit out of the comfort zone, but it’s never the aim to lose someone.”

31:46 Hidden Potential Uncovered

Through co-creation, surprising skills and insights emerge — like when a partner’s expertise in machine learning reshaped the group’s perspective.

“All of a sudden it turned out that one of the partners has amazing experience and knowledge… and it put the whole activity in a completely different perspective.”

39:21 From Training to Success Stories

Across the Danube region, newly trained facilitators are now running their own workshops, inspiring and learning from each other.

“These people are motivating each other. They are really inspiring each other.”

41:52 Closing: Together for Clean Rivers

The episode wraps up with an invitation to join future workshops, listen in, and be part of the movement for cleaner waterways.

“Let’s just do co-creation together and do not stop the whole process.”