An enterprising Germany-based trio formed by the Audi Environmental Foundation, cosmetics company Babor and a green start-up called Everwave have launched a clean-up initiative to tackle the plastic waste that is polluting the world’s rivers.
The three have devised a campaign with several projects on the agenda for 2021, including public information events, projects at the sites of the participating partners, and clean-up activities at various locations.
The program will kick off in April with a clean-up effort on the Danube, during which Everwave’s CollectiX waste collection boat will collect waste floating in the river. Babor and the Audi Environmental Foundation are sponsoring the use of the boat.
“We come from different industries and can therefore bring a range of expertise to the joint initiative. In sum, we will all benefit — especially nature,” Rüdiger Recknagel, managing director of the Audi Environmental Foundation said. “Our primary aim, aside from collecting waste, is to make the public aware of the huge scale of the problem and to reach as many people as possible and to inspire them to protect the environment.
Water is the basis of all life and absolutely worth protecting.”
In 2018, the Audi Environmental Foundation took part for the first time I a cooperative effort designed to tackle river plastic. At that time, it collaborated with nonprofit partner Clear Rivers on a project which developed innovative litter traps — enabling the passive collection of floating plastic waste in catch basins, preventing it from reaching the oceans.
Now, in addition to the passive waste traps, the Foundation and its partners Babor and Everwave are supporting the active reduction of river pollution, which will ultimately benefit the oceans as well.