Bucharest, October 4, 2023 - Following research on the pollution sources of the Danube in the Jiu River area, OTP Bank Romania has launched the campaign "Vrem o Dunăre fără plastic” („We want a Danube without plastic”), with the aim of raising awareness about water pollution. The campaign is part of the environmental program developed last year together with Asociația Ape Fără Plastic (the Plastic Free Water Association), through which more than 700 kilograms of waste were collected by OTP Bank volunteers, during greening actions on the Jiu River.

Given the context of climate and environmental change, OTP Bank Romania reaffirms its strong commitment to contribute to the protection of the environment and to raise community awareness of our impact on it. 

After the success of the two greening actions, in which more than 700 kilograms of waste were collected from the Jiu River, OTP Bank Romania is taking a new step in its environmental program with an innovative approach.

"We end this year's environmental actions with a unique challenge on the Danube. Our reactive actions so far, cleaning the banks and beds of the Jiu River, have helped us to lay the foundations for a change. Two years ago, we made the commitment to actively support Asociația Ape Fără Plastic in its mission to prevent floating waste from the Jiu River from reaching the Danube. Two years later, I am pleased to see that plastic pollution on the Danube is not as high as we encountered on the Jiu. This makes me realize that teamwork has paid off and our corrective measures so far, together with those of our partner, have contributed to a cleaner Danube.

The launched campaign is a step forward in our environmental protection program, it is an invitation to the general public to look at the plastic we use in a different and more responsible way, by being aware that our actions always have consequences, even if sometimes they are unseen", said Mara Cristea, Action Ambassador and Deputy General Manager, Finance and Planning Division, OTP Bank Romania.

Therefore, with the support of the project volunteers, OTP Bank Romania has documented the sources of pollution on video from the area where the Jiu River flows into the Danube up to the Bechet port area. Through this initiative, the bank started a campaign to raise awareness about water pollution, aiming to inform about the impact of human actions on this important ecosystem and to attract as many volunteers as possible for the greening actions that will follow within the program.

"As we know and highlight on every occasion, one of the most important sources of plastic waste pollution of the Danube River is its tributaries. The action organized together with OTP Bank volunteers, clearly showed that it is much more difficult, and consequently more expensive, to collect plastic from the banks of the Danube, than from the banks of its tributaries, in this case the Jiu, a medium-sized river. Even so, the costs of removing plastic waste from the water are very high, so why not use the most economical solutions already tried and tested, both by us, in over 6 years of activity, and by many other organizations in the country that follow us down the same path. We are glad that our partners and friends from OTP Bank have participated in this experiment, especially as they already have the experience of two actions on the Jiu River," said Dan Mirea, President of Asociația Ape Fără Plastic.

The campaign spot can be seen here.

About OTP Bank 

OTP Bank Romania is a subsidiary of OTP Group, a universal bank with a strong presence in Central and Eastern Europe, offering comprehensive financial solutions and active in both the retail and corporate segments. As of 2019, OTP Bank is going through a broad transformation process, through which it aims to grow significantly across business segments and also create a better customer experience. With a growing team that embraces change and leverages its potential, OTP Bank Romania is building a culture of trust at every level of the organization. The bank ranks 9th, by assets, in the ranking of banking players in Romania, according to the latest NBR data. In Romania, the members of the OTP Group are: OTP Bank Romania, OTP Consulting, OTP Leasing, OTP Asset Management, OTP Factoring, OTP Advisors and OTP Bank Romania Foundation.
 

For more information:
Communication Team 
OTP Bank Romania, www.otpbank.ro
Email: comunicare@otpbank.ro