Imagine a plastic free riverside snack bar or camp site… No plastic plates or cutleries, selective waste collection is in use, and the beach is kept clean. Imagine institutions, schools, local governments that teach, deem vital and demonstrate with their daily operations how to lead a sustainable and eco-friendly life by minimising waste generation. And if you have imagined it, let’s do it!

History

The Hungarian Association of Environmental Enterprises and the Plastic Cup are some of the most important workshops and constant sources of raising environmental awareness in Hungary. As part of their awareness-raising work, the Association is continuously aspiring to offer general guidance to the public, businesses and policymakers.  This endeavour inspired the creation of Hungary’s Plastic Guide, the nationwide programme called Zöldforgó Élménynap, the Füles interactive publication and the study entitled Zöldgazdaság. The Plastic Cup has established itself as an international best practice in the field of river protection, volunteering and environmental education. 

Toolbox

As a result of the cooperation, the continuation of environmentalist efforts is ensured by international tenders, with activities that encompass the whole Carpathian Basin and East-Central Europe. Within the framework of the INTERREG DTP Tidy up! project – the managing partner of which is filmjungle.eu – a complex online knowledge repository (Waste Reduction Toolbox) will be published, and it will be available to and downloadable by the general public in six countries in addition to Hungary.

The toolbox was inspired by the findings of the Plastic Cup and its partners at the Tisza, and its goal was to help people detached from nature reconnect with it. The waste reduction toolbox project has sprouted from the idea of Plastic Free Beaches, and it supports the waste reduction attempts of riverside resorts and restaurants, local governments and the general public. Regional waste reduction workshops, Tisza Roundtable talks and movie screenings promulgate the toolbox.

The Hungarian methodology will be used in Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia and Bulgaria in the coming months. 

ELEMENTS OF THE TOOLKIT

Educational presentations

History-of-waste
Riverfriendly catering
Zero waste local government
Zero waste school

Waste reduction guide

WasteReduction_handguide_ENG

Waste reduction posters

9R_mindmap.pdf
Compost.pdf
Paper.pdf
Plastic_metal.pdf
Color_white_glass.pdf

The target groups:

Waterfront resorts and restaurants
Local governments
General public
Kindergartens and schools
Water facilities, waterfront service providers
Regional tourist centres and accommodation facilities.

6 countries are adopting our best practices

We are especially proud that in addition to the Hungarian and English versions, the know-how will soon be available in German, Slovakian, Ukrainian, Serbian and Bulgarian, translated and localised by our project partners in each country, thus enabling a more extensive awareness-raising at regional level.

The toolbox, a part of the INTERREG DTP Tidy up! project, was sponsored by the European Union and the Hungarian government.