River Cleanup Without Borders – Successful International Cooperation Against Plastic Pollution in Waterways

Experts and civil organizations from eight countries joined forces in Kisköre, where the Plastic Cup Society organized an international workshop for Community River Cleanup Coordinators as part of the Aquatic Plastic project. The aim of the event was to bring together representatives of Danube Basin countries to learn about river literacy principles, master effective methods for organizing community river cleanups, and share their experiences on how to manage aquatic plastic pollution with each other.

Main Outcomes of the Workshop

• Participants came from Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Hungary, Serbia, Slovenia, Romania, and Ukraine — eager to learn and exchange experiences.

• They took part in both theoretical and practical workshop sessions, where they explored the causes of river pollution, pilot waste collection tools, and best practices for community river/beach cleanup organization.

• During the field exercise, participants collected waste from both land and water (using canoes) on the River Tisza, assisted by Plastic Cup experts.

• The event’s goal was to encourage professionals and civil organizations to cooperate and inspire them to take an active role in cleaning rivers, thus contributing to a more sustainable future for the region.

• One of the highlights of the workshop was the joint drafting and signing of the Danube Riversaver Declaration, which expresses the participants’ commitment to protecting rivers and fostering cross-border cooperation.

Why Is This Initiative Important?

Rivers are not only natural treasures but also vital lifelines for our communities and economies. However, plastic pollution poses an increasingly serious challenge that requires international cooperation especially on the Danube, crossing 14 countries between its source and the sea.

The workshop aimed to inspire participants with the knowledge and motivation needed to organize and sustain river cleanup and other citizen science actions within their own communities.

Over the four-day event, participants attended lectures,, and directly experienced the challenges of river cleanup during the field practice. The workshop was supported by the Kisköre Water Management Directorate and funded by the Interreg Danube Region Programme with the financial contribution of the partner states and institutions.

The Kisköre workshop was not only about sharing knowledge but also about inspiration: it demonstrated that the joint efforts of local communities, civil organizations, and professionals can bring about real change in protecting our rivers and waters.