The Trash Foundation believes that solving urban litter requires more than occasional cleanups — it requires a system that values the work of keeping our cities clean. Our vision is simple: when communities are supported with the right resources and financial incentives, they have the power to transform their own neighborhoods.

Urban litter is often treated as an unavoidable problem, but in reality it is a resource and coordination problem. By directing philanthropic funding, corporate social responsibility investments, and community support toward organized cleanup efforts, we can create a model where people are paid to remove litter, improve public spaces, and contribute to the health of their neighborhoods.

Through this model, The Trash Foundation aims to build a network of community members who are compensated for participating in cleanup efforts, supported by volunteers who want to contribute their time, and funded by corporations and donors who believe in investing in cleaner cities. The result is a system where environmental stewardship, community pride, and economic opportunity work together.

Our long-term vision is to create a scalable model that can operate across major cities — one where corporate social responsibility dollars and philanthropic investment help fund local cleanup efforts, provide financial incentives for residents, and ensure that trash is consistently removed from public spaces.

Cleaner streets should not rely on chance or occasional volunteer efforts. With the right support and funding, communities can maintain their own neighborhoods — and when people are paid to pick up trash, the trash gets picked up.