Two thousand tonnes of waste lighter for the Tisza

Written by: Zsuzsanna Bittner

2,000 tonnes. 2,000,000 kg. That's how much waste the CALL-Action project has diverted from the Tisza over the past three years. The project was implemented with the cooperation of Transcarpathian organisations, coordinated by Pliastic Cup and with the financial support of Diageo Zrt. 

How did this insanely large number come together? After all, hundreds of experienced plastic pirates can collect 10-15 tonnes of waste in a Plastic Cup competition during a week of tireless river cleanup. And what does it even mean to "divert"?

In February 2022, the project was launched - then only for 2 years - with the aim of reducing the amount of waste in Transcarpathia, at the source region of the Tisza. That waste could potentially end up in the river. The initiative was called the CALL-Action project, which included the professional processing of recyclable waste, infrastructure development of waste treatment sites in Transcarpathia, waste monitoring and river cleanups and social sensitisation. 

Waste island on the riverbank of Latorca near the city. Mukachevo, Ukraine, 2023

We have involved 4 local partners in the delivery of the commitments. The waste yards in Uzhhorod and Berehove, the Zelenyi Varosh Association for environmental education in Uzhhorod, and the NGO Papilio Nature and Environment Association, which carries out river cleanups with volunteers. Together, they implemented a programme to raise awareness of the seriousness of river pollution and possible solutions, to provide opportunities for the proper management and recycling of the recyclable fraction of household waste, to monitor the Latorca river floodplain and to clean up an area of high pollution.

The managers of the yards, Ruslan Shvarts and Viktor Buchynskyy, have improved the infrastructure of their sites, installing waste collection containers in blocks of flats, schools and public areas, and increasing their delivery capacity. The project included the purchase of baling and pressing machines, forklift trucks and vans. An innovative solution has also been developed: the eco-bus, which makes regular visits to busy urban areas to collect PET bottles in bags for the collection of household waste.

Waste collection eco-bus at work. Uzhorod, Ukraine, 2023

During the awareness-raising activities, Anna Sabadosh and her colleagues organised more than 30 events in Uzhhorod and the surrounding municipalities, including sorting workshops, summer camps for young schoolchildren and university courses. 

In the 3 years of the project so far, more than 2,500 people aged between 4 and 60 have been involved. They have been in contact with Ukrainian internally displaced persons (IDPs) and have been given knowledge on how to properly recycle packaging waste, which in many cases comes with emergency packages.

Eco-education for the little ones. Uzhorod, Ukraine, 2025

While the above activities prevented the waste from entering the river, the project also included river clean-up, which was prepared by thorough waste mapping. Papilio volunteers monitored a 4 km section of waste deposits, and in August 2024 they cleaned up the Latorca floodplain, known only as the "plastic forest", around the Nagydobrony fishing site. More than 1.5 tonnes of waste was collected, 80% of which was PET bottles.

PET bottles everywhere in the Latorca floodplain. Velika Dobrony, Ukraine, 2024

Volunteers collected 1.5 tonnes of waste in one day

Diverting waste from the river therefore means collecting recyclable waste from the population in upstream areas where, due to the lack of waste management services - in some cases, none at all - it is likely to end up on the riverbank. Alternatively, we collect it where it is still concentrated along the river, i.e. where it is deposited in large quantities in small areas and has not yet been spread - over hundreds of kilometres - in floodplain forests of the slower flowing downstream region.

The CALL-Action project was launched in 2022, almost at the time of the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war. The planned implementation was turned upside down by reality. Our Transcarpathian partners had to work at the site during a power cut, the environmental education partners provided training during an air raid, and women lifted PET bales due to a decreasing male workforce. Our partner in Berehovo was conscripted at the end of last year, so we are concerned not only for municipal waste management, but also for our partner and friend. The site is run in his absence by his 73-year-old father.

Deputy manager of the Berehove waste yard. Ukraine, 2025

Nevertheless, the 2-year target of diverting 690 tonnes of waste from the river, originally targeted at the start of the project, was exceeded: more than doubled. As a result, the project sponsor Diageo Zrt. has initiated a new one and a half year project phase, with the Plastic Cup Society continuing to act as coordinator and responsible for developing the strategy. The aim is to achieve a further 1000 tonnes of waste, awareness-raising activities in 10 more schools and 10 more kilometres of river along the Latorca.

Household collection points set up in the framework of the CALL-Action project. Uzhorod, Ukraine, 2024

The results of the 3-year CALL-Action project in numbers:

- Improving the infrastructure of 2 waste yards in Transcarpathia
- Diversion of more than 2000 tons of waste from the river, 
- 30 household selective waste collection containers in Uzhhorod and surrounding municipalities, 
- mapping of 4 km of the Latorca riverbank and removal of 1.5 tonnes of waste from the floodplain,
- Delivered its river protection message to more than 2,500 local residents - mostly children - during 30 organised events.

Information on the project's objectives, events and even the eco-bus's schedule is available on the project's website, which is available in Ukrainian and English.

Short summary video of the project's awareness-raising results:

Short summary video on the project's waste management results: