Under the expert guidance of the national park rangers, Ja! Natürlich managers Klaudia Atzmüller and Andreas Steidl with their team and fellow campaigners from BILLA. Both in rubber dinghies and on land, the 40 or so committed participants in the campaign collected many kilos of waste in the section of the Danube between Fischamend and Haslau.
"The plastic islands in the oceans may seem far away. But in fact, every year we send about 40 tons of plastic via the Danube directly into the Black Sea," Klaudia Atzmüller is shocked by the extent of the pollution. Even in the protected area of the national park, littering does not stop, as the day of action once again showed. The Danube carries alluvial garbage, which then remains on the banks of the Danube and in the side arms and poses a danger to wildlife. Andreas Steidl emphasizes: "With Yes! Natürlich we pioneered sustainable packaging 15 years ago, because our understanding of organic goes far beyond the prescribed standards. The mission to replace plastic whenever possible or to do away with it altogether has always been part of this for us. To date, we've recorded the saving of over 1,100 tons of plastic, equivalent to the capacity of 154 garbage trucks."
Together for nature: Decades-long partnership with the National Parks Austria
Ja! Natürlich and the Austrian national parks have been close partners for the protection of nature, animals and the environment for more than 20 years. The joint garbage collection initiative was not only aimed at cleaning up this important nature reserve just outside Vienna, but is also intended to raise awareness of ecological interrelationships. National Park Director Edith Klauser is pleased about the visit of the Ja! Natürlich: "The Danube Floodplain National Park is a jewel of biodiversity that we must protect and care for. In doing so, we also rely heavily on the support of volunteers. Initiatives like this one from Ja! Natürlich help to preserve the national park for future generations and send an important signal for environmental protection."
