Friends of the River: joint effort removes 25 tons of waste from the Tocantins River

The municipality of Peixe is known for its stunning natural beauty. Bathed by the Tocantins River, it is home to paradisiacal islands and stunning river beaches, such as Praia da Tartaruga, famous for its white sands and crystal-clear waters. However, this paradise faces a growing challenge: pollution caused by garbage accumulating in its waters.

To meet this challenge and protect the region's natural beauty, the Friends of the River project has stood out as an essential initiative. In its 18th edition, held at the beginning of September, the project brought together around 300 volunteers for a massive clean-up effort on the Tocantins River. The initiative removed more than 25 tons of solid waste from the river, including tires, chairs and even stoves.

The Friends of the River project aims to promote the preservation of the environment and raise environmental awareness, sensitizing the population to the importance of adopting sustainable practices. The initiative seeks to mobilize the local community and volunteers to collect solid waste accumulated along the river, which can damage the ecosystem and compromise water quality. Initiated at popular demand, the project was embraced by the city council and private partners, such as Energisa, and is now part of the city's calendar.

The preservation and environmental awareness promoted by events like this go beyond simply removing solid waste. These actions convey an essential message, training new citizens and highlighting to society the importance of conservation and caring for the environment," emphasized Naturatins' environmental inspector, Romário Maracaípe

The action mobilized 65 local boatmen, organized into two work fronts, who covered a 35-kilometre stretch of the Tocantins River. While one group of volunteers followed the course of the river, the other sailed in the opposite direction, ensuring that the entire area was completely covered by the expedition. The waste collected was sorted and sent for recycling or appropriate disposal in the municipal landfill.

The success of the project shows the power of collaboration in environmental preservation. At the end of the day, there was a sense of accomplishment. Energisa's metering supervisor, Anderson Nogueira, took part in the event as one of the volunteers:

As well as being one of our values at Energisa, we have sustainability as our focus, so we're here raising awareness among the population, together with the riverside dwellers, to do this clean-up, and nature thanks us," said Anderson.