In 2016, a short video clip of boys laughing in a Roman suburb went viral. The boys’ game consisted of counting rats as they scurried out of a dumpster overflowing with trash, the children surrounded by dirty paper plates, plastic bags, broken bottles, and rotting food. They counted a total of 25 rats in five minutes. This is just one of many personal accounts of the systemic trash crisis that has plagued Rome for decades.

Our international partner, Retake Roma, is active in 90 cities throughout Italy. This organization brings citizens together to fight against degradation in their neighborhoods and cities.

Our project currently has 13 local and international partners ready to help us tackle the waste crisis.

Rome struggles to sustain itself as a livable city while simultaneously supporting the 2,000,000 tourists who visit each year.

Rome ships over 1.2 million tons of their waste abroad annually. This is an expensive and unsustainable method of disposing of their waste.