The pollution of Tisza has long been a burning question. The issue is already beginning in the Ukrainian section, where there is no adequate infrastructure to deal with the municipal waste situation. Starting from the upper reaches of Tisza, a lot of rubbish gets into the river, for which no solution has yet been found.
Fortunately, there are those who consider the fate of the river and its environment as a matter of their hearts. Many non-profit organizations, volunteers are already taking action against the accumulated waste.
One such volunteer is Béla Franz, who wanted to help in his homeland. Béla was a bus driver in Hungary for years, but his heart pulled him back to Transcarpathia. He had a will to assist his homeland and decided to open a waste yard with the money he had saved to try to help with the situation there. He has been operating his selective waste collector yard in Kőrösmező since 2017, which is located 10 kilometers from the source of the Fekete-Tisza (Black-Tisza). In the beginning, he first collected waste from restaurants, and then more and more people asked him to take their trash too. To help the locals, he even made selective bins out of wood. At his yard, an average of 10 cubic meters of waste is processed per day. Most of all, he would need machines and a sorting belt.
Viktor Bucsynszky, an engineer, eco-activist, launched his selective collection point in Beregszász under the name “Színes Tartályok” (Colored Containers), thanks to which several tons of garbage have already been processed. On the banks of the Borzsa River, which is located in the catchment area of Tisza, there are dozens of waste block and unfortunately there is no one to do against it. The “Színes Tartályok” selective collection point can be found in the courtyard of an old Soviet factory at the edge of Beregszász. Viktor opened the yard in September 2019 after being completely disappointed by the view of the Borzsa River. The yard is uncovered so Viktor and his team work under the sky. Plastics are sorted on the ground and then grouped into large bags, separating PET bottles, caps, bags and foils. In addition, they collect hazardous waste such as light bulbs and batteries. Viktor settled and created this yard and its tools by all on his own, at the risk of his financial security. “I’m gonna pay for this.” – he said. He also kept his full-time job at the gasworks in order to finance the operation of the yard. And the locals are increasingly believing in it.
The biggest difficulty at the yard is the lack of loaders, covered areas, containers and bins.
How could we help the work of the activists like them in everyday life?
