PLASTIC FANTASTIC
All hands on deck!
By Andru Shively
This summer, one of the world’s preeminent sporting events took place in Europe. No, not the UEFA Football Championship, nor the Paris Olympics. We are of course talking about the now decade-old Plastic Cup – or PET Kupa – whose most recent iteration took place from 28 to 30 June on Lake Tisza and the Tisza River, in Hungary.
This summer, one of the world’s preeminent sporting events took place in Europe. No, not the UEFA Football Championship, nor the Paris Olympics. We are of course talking about the now decade-old Plastic Cup – or PET Kupa – whose most recent iteration took place from 28 to 30 June on Lake Tisza and the Tisza River, in Hungary.
 Ahoy, mateys! The PET Fleet sets out on the waters of Tisza (Photo: Plastic Cup Association) |
Over the three days, 19 teams of more than 300 so-called PET Pirates navigated the waters of Tisza in search of an all too ubiquitous treasure: plastics waste. The rules of the competition are simple: build a seaworthy vessel out of waste materials (or opt for a canoe), set sail, and collect the most plastics and other lake litter to claim the Cup. Savvy?
 Thar she blows! The 2024 Plastic Cup, made from scrap (Photo: Plastic Cup Association) |
The MBH Bank team topped the podium at this year’s edition, where a reported total 7.5 t of rubbish was plundered – a new record that easily beat last year’s haul by a full tonne. Once ashore, the waste is sorted by colour and material, with as much as possible saved to be put back into circulation.
Life’s not a competition, nor is environmentalism – usually. But there’s no more sure-fire way to call people to action than to give them something to win. Aaarrrrr you in?
Life’s not a competition, nor is environmentalism – usually. But there’s no more sure-fire way to call people to action than to give them something to win. Aaarrrrr you in?
02.08.2024 Plasteurope.com [255814-0]
Published on 02.08.2024