These projects show what is possible when clean water, river restoration, and circular-economy thinking come together. Each one is led by partners we work with and believe in.
RiverRecycle
Clean rivers. Recycle plastics. Protect oceans. Most ocean plastic travels there by river. RiverRecycle, a Finnish cleantech company and Help in a Box Water partner, stops it before it reaches the sea. Its river-cleaning machines catch floating waste, and its recycling plants turn low-value plastics into useful products, creating local jobs and a self-sustaining loop that pays for continued cleanup.
2.5M kg
per year of river waste collection capacity
2.0M kg
per year of low-value plastic recycling capacity
36
projects in the pipeline
8
countries with RiverRecycle operations
Figures: RiverRecycle.
RiverRecycle Projects
Pasig River cleanup with ICTSI Foundation
Manila, Philippines
Collecting up to 4,000 kg a day; recycling capacity of 340,000 kg a year.
Citarum Repair with BOI and Coca-Cola Foundation
Bandung, Indonesia
Collecting up to 2,500 kg a day; recycling capacity of 330,000 kg a year.
Kpeshi Lagoon cleanup
Accra, Ghana
With UK International Development and SMEP. Collecting up to 200 kg a day; recycling capacity of 360,000 kg a year.
Padma cleanup with Danida Market Development Partnerships
Faridpur, Bangladesh
Collecting up to 200 kg a day; recycling capacity of 250,000 kg a year.
Mithi River cleanup with Huhtamäki
Mumbai, India
River cleanup and plastic recovery in partnership with Huhtamäki.
The Alluvium Project
“Alluvium” is the fertile sediment that flowing rivers leave behind. The Alluvium Project applies that idea to communities: it connects people, projects, and resources across borders to turn environmental problems into lasting assets.
The Circular Economy in Action
- Rivers and coastal areas are cleaned of plastic waste.
- The collected plastic is processed into durable recycled building boards.
- Those boards become infrastructure for underserved communities.
- Local residents gain jobs, training, and cleaner surroundings.
- Sustainable systems reduce future pollution and strengthen local economies.
Key initiative: near La Paz, Mexico, the Alluvium Project plans a solar-powered desalination, ice-making, and water purification facility for fishing villages, built with recycled plastic boards. It will provide clean drinking water, ice to preserve the catch, less reliance on diesel, and stronger incomes for fishing families.
The Tijuana River Project
The Tijuana River flows about 190 kilometers through northwest Mexico before reaching the Pacific at the Tijuana River Estuary, a U.S. National Estuarine Research Reserve. The estuary’s 930 hectares of beaches, dunes, mudflats, and salt marshes are home to 370 bird species and ten endangered species.
Today the river carries raw sewage, industrial waste, and urban runoff across the border into South San Diego. Researchers at San Diego State University’s School of Public Health have documented a growing public health crisis, with contaminants reaching not only the water but also the air and soil. Beaches on both sides of the border are frequently closed.
The Tijuana River Project brings together governments, Rotary clubs, nonprofits, and businesses on both sides of the border, in the spirit of UN Sustainable Development Goal 17, Partnerships for the Goals. Its Rotary Global Grant proposals are listed on MatchingGrants.org.
WASH Rotary Action Group (WASH-RAG)
Formerly known as WASRAG, the Water and Sanitation Rotarian Action Group, the WASH Rotary Action Group was founded on World Water Day, March 22, 2007, and is recognized by Rotary International. Its new name adds hygiene, reflecting how central handwashing and hygiene education are to lasting health gains.
WASH-RAG takes a holistic approach: water is not the goal in itself but the means to a better life. It links water and sanitation to better health, the empowerment of women, agriculture, education, and lower child mortality, and it has helped Rotary clubs deliver many hundreds of projects.
Vision
A healthier world where everyone has the basic human rights of safe water, sustainable sanitation, and good hygiene, transforming lives and building community resilience.
Mission
To support community-driven WASH programs by mobilizing the resources and expertise of Rotary and its partners to build sustainable projects, empower communities, and advocate for WASH policies.
How WASH-RAG Helps
- Global Grant Review Service – clubs submit draft WASH Global Grants for technical and Rotary Foundation compliance review before final submission.
- Technical Assessment Review Service – guidance on community needs assessments.
- WASH Project Portal – projects looking for international partners.
- WASH Ambassadors – regional experts who share updates and advice.
- WASH in Schools and WASH in Healthcare Facilities – webinar series on assessments, sustainability, and life-cycle costing.
- World Water Summits and technical and marketing resources for clubs.
WASH-RAG’s board for 2026–27 is chaired by S.N. Srikanth of District 3230, India, with directors from the United States, Canada, Belize, Kenya, and beyond.
More Projects We Feature
One Million Drops
A Rotary-driven global initiative to reach one million people with sustainable water solutions.
Ice in a Box
Solar-powered ice and drinking water for the fishing village of San Evaristo on Mexico’s Sea of Cortez.
Rotary Water Projects
Clean water, sanitation, and hygiene projects seeking Rotary matching funds around the world.