The Ja! Natürlich managers Klaudia Atzmüller and Andreas Steidl and their committed team cleaned the section of the Danube between Fischamend and Haslau from rubbish in rubber dinghies and on foot. They were led and guided by the National Park Rangers and the team of the German activist, who came to Austria for the first time for a clean-up. The collected rubbish is creatively staged by Stephan Horch and captured in a photo artwork for eternity - before it is professionally disposed of.
"The pollution of the world's oceans with plastic waste is a problem that often seems far away, especially for Austrians, but it also has its origins in our latitudes. In Austria, about 40 tonnes of plastic end up in the Black Sea via the Danube every year," explains Ja! Natürlich Head Klaudia Atzmüller explains the background. And her colleague Andreas Steidl emphasises: "Ja! Natürlich has been a pioneer in green packaging for more than 10 years. More than 1,100 tonnes of plastic have already been saved through environmentally friendly packaging. That corresponds to the load of 154 rubbish trucks! And as Austria's organic pioneer, we of course continue to work hard to replace or eliminate plastic wherever possible."
Clean River Project: Paddling and art for clean rivers and oceans
Ja! Natürlich and activist Stephan Horch at the "Bio-Camp" for the 25th anniversary of the organic brand in autumn 2019. After the event fell victim to the pandemic last autumn, the time had finally come: "For us, this joint waste collection campaign with Ja! Natürlich in the wonderful Danube meadows is the first clean-up campaign in Austria. We are thrilled to be here and as you have seen, even in a national park there is unfortunately always a lot for us to do," emphasises Stephan Horch. In 2012, the Clean River Project was founded in Winningen on the Moselle by the artist and recreational paddler Stephan Horch. Since then, it has been causing a stir with its photographic art made from collected plastic waste and raising awareness of the issue of pollution of the waters and seas in our throwaway society. The Clean River Project is now a multi-award-winning environmental, art and educational project that aims to reduce plastic waste pollution in German waters. In addition to his Clean-Up events, Stephan Horch gives lectures, among others at German schools.
