Volunteers will collect household rubbish left in the countryside and at illegal tips, but excluding dangerous materials and, for instance, construction debris. The organisers would like as many as possible of Hungary's 3200 settlements to join the initiative; last year some 150 thousand volunteers in 700 towns and villages went out to collect litter within the framework of the TeSzedd! drive, the Minister of State said.

In addition to the Ministry of Rural Development and the National Waste Management Agency, the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Public Administration are also partners in the organisation and management of the drive.

At the press conference, Managing Director of the National Waste Management Agency Oszkár Vámosi spoke of the fact that around 3 million tons of solid household waste is generated in Hungary each year, of which some 3000 tons was collected by the public during the course of last year's TeSzedd! drive. According to certain estimates, there may be some 100 million tons of illegally disposed of rubbish in Hungary.

There is a great need for the shaping of public attitudes, he added. As an example, he mentioned the fact that in the representative poll the Agency held last year, 70 percent of respondents claimed that they regularly selected their household waste, whereas the facts show that only 15-20 percent of the Hungarian population do in fact collect their waste selectively.

IN reply to a question from Hungarian news agency MTI, Mr. Vámosi said that some 4.0-4.5 tons of solid waste is generated in Hungary's settlements each year. Two thirds of this is "provided" by the population, with the remainder generated as institutions and workplaces. The collection and disposal of this waste costs around 60 billion forints each year. Thanks to the cuts in public utility rates, this will drop to HUF 55 billion this year. Similarly to previous years, the National Waste Management Agency is sponsoring the TeSzedd! drive with some HUF 130 million. Minister of State Illés told MTI that the amount of waste generated could be significantly reduced if a deposit was introduced on various items of packaging. A measure of this kind may be introduced sometime next year, following the elections, he said, adding that the introduction of a deposit on bottles etc. would also facilitate the whitening of the economy.

The Minister of State for Environmental Affairs explained that a plan has also been developed for the organised disposal and recycling of construction debris, according to which the state would pay 1 forint for every kilogram of construction debris, which it would then resell at 6 forints per kilogram - in accordance with new standards - in addition to which it would be compulsory to use such debris during the construction of roadbeds, instead of the 30 percent gravel. According to estimates, some 12-18 million tons of construction debris are generated in Hungary each year. These new regulations are also planned for after the elections.

The organisers also stressed that the TeSzedd! litter collection drive began three years ago as a grassroots initiative; over 33 thousand people have already registered for volunteer work on the drive's website before its official announcement. The organisers ask that potential volunteers register their willingness to participate to facilitate the organisation of the drive.

Source: Press Office of the Ministry of Rural Development