Floating Barrier on Dâmbovița River
On World Water Day, a floating barrier made of old, recycled advertising banners, with floats constructed from reused plastic bottles, was installed in Bucharest on the Dâmbovița River, with the aim of collecting waste from the water surface.
Floating barriers, built to float along the surface of a river, are a technological solution for limiting water pollution and can trap plastic, timber, leaves, branches, and other materials.
"This is the sixth floating barrier installed by MaiMultVerde Association, following the 5 already installed on the rivers Jiu, Cerna, Olt, Buzău, and Siret. To date, the floating barriers have stopped 46 tons of plastic waste, which has been collected and taken by local waste management companies for recycling. We chose the Dâmbovița for this pilot project because it is not just a river that runs through our city; it is one of the natural arteries that support biodiversity, nature in the urban environment, and also our lives. It is the water we drink, the water we wash with, or the water we cook with," said Marta Popescu, coordinator of the Clean Waters program.
The barrier, 25 meters long, was placed in the Splaiul Unirii no. 160 area, because the location allows constant monitoring, so that potential problems can be detected in time, and provides easy access for light boats used for maintenance and collecting retained waste. Furthermore, the Unirii – National Library area, where there are designated consumption spaces along the Dâmbovița riverbank, is known for accumulating waste.
"Every day when we get to the office and look at the Dâmbovița River, we think it has enormous potential for the city, unfortunately insufficiently utilized, and we constantly collect organic or plastic waste circulating on the river. The main part of the floating barrier, which will stop the passage of trash, is made from a mesh-type street banner, and its buoyancy is provided by empty 5-liter plastic bottles (PET). 'The Snake,' as we call it, will be anchored with metal cables to both banks of the Dâmbovița," said Valentin Talabă, communication manager at Nod Makerspace, a project partner.
In the coming period, the waste stopped by the barrier will be collected by the MaiMultVerde Association, with the help of volunteers, and will be taken over by the local sanitation company.
On the occasion of the barrier's installation, artist Irina Mocanu created a 12 sqm mural on the left bank of the Dâmbovița River, illustrating an egret (a species found in many parks in Bucharest).
Between 2019 and 2022, over 80 clean-up actions were organized along the banks of the Danube and its tributaries, with 4000 volunteers, during which 58 tons of waste were collected. Annually, the MaiMultVerde Association organizes Water Week, between March 14 (International Rivers Day) and March 22 (World Water Day). Over time, information campaigns have been carried out in local communities, murals with messages about environmental protection, and separate collection points for plastic. Last year, a study on the quantities of microplastics in the Danube was initiated, the results of which will be published in the near future.
