The Clear Romania (Romania Limpede) project, an initiative to reduce and prevent plastic pollution of the Danube's waters, will continue this year, as a result of the partnership between Lidl, one of the most important retailers in Romania and three environmental NGOs - Mai Mult Verde, WWF-Romania and ASAP (The Careful Plastic Selection Army).

According to a press release from Lidl Romania, sent to AGERPRES on Monday, the project, now in its fourth edition, will run between September 19-24, 2025 and will include actions to sanitise the Danube's banks and water surface in five localities, as well as a series of educational and creative workshops aimed at raising awareness of the effects of plastic pollution of water.

So far, 14.7 tonnes of waste have been collected, including 9.8 tonnes of plastic, with the help of more than 500 volunteers - representatives of associations and local authorities, Lidl team members, students and teachers.

'The Clear Romania project will continue along the Danube in 2025 too, with a focus on the collection of plastic waste from the banks and water surface, on informing and educating participants about the need to protect water and the responsible integration of plastic in their lives, but also on creative activities to reduce the negative impact of this waste on the environment. Between September 19-24, the sanitation, information and awareness-raising actions will be resumed, with the participation of volunteers from local communities, representatives of the authorities and Lidl Romania employees. The project will take place in Calarasi, Giurgiu, Drobeta-Turnu Severin, Turnu Magurele and Mahmudia,' the press release states.

During the greening actions, Asociatia Mai Mult Verde will coordinate the sanitation actions carried out on the banks of the river in five cities - Calarasi, Giurgiu, Drobeta-Turnu Severin, Turnu Magurele and Mahmudia, to which will be added a sanitation action of the Danube river, with the help of kayaks, in Giurgiu town.

The novelty of this year's project is the creation of a participatory mural painting, which will be created in Drobeta-Turnu Severin using the 'pixelated art' technique: the artist will propose the design, and participants will actively contribute to its creation. The sketch will convey a strong message about the need to protect water from plastic pollution and will involve community members in discussions and debates on this topic.

WWF - Romania will also facilitate a participatory science workshop in Mahmudia, where young people will explore the concept of drinkable rivers and the importance of keeping water clean. This educational experience involves young people in studying the river near where they live. 'Building on last year's experience with Li An Phoa, founder of Drinkable Rivers, WWF has created the Danube Delta Drinkable Rivers Hub, a platform to which local organisations will also be invited to join as members. The results of the participatory science activities undertaken by the Hub will continue to contribute to the international citizen science programme Drinkable Rivers, which gives people the opportunity to better understand the health of the rivers near them,' the company notes.

At the same time, ASAP will be present with a new educational activity organised in Mahmudia: facilitating two play workshops dedicated to young people, exploring the jobs of the future, together with partners from WWF - Romania and the Mai Mult Verde Association. Under the creative guidance of a well-known game designer, participants will discover in an interactive and fun way how they can shape the future through creative professions.

The Clear Romania project is a local initiative by Lidl and is part of Cleanup Collective @Dunare, a large-scale action by the Schwarz Group. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Daniel Badea; EN - writing by: Simona Iacob)