River Watchers

Map river waste with smartphones & AI

Join the largest citizen science project!

What is River Watchers?

River Watchers is a collaborative project between River Cleanup and VITO. We use smartphones and artificial intelligence to identify where litter can be found along rivers. Citizens take photos of the litter, and artificial intelligence recognizes the type of waste. This information is converted into a handy map that visualizes pollution and serves as a foundation for cleanup actions and policy decisions.

Join us and make a difference!

Between June 8 (World Ocean Day) and September 20 (World Cleanup Day), take as many photos as possible of litter along a waterway near you and help us map the problem. By collecting data, we can better understand what types of waste are found in nature and work together toward structural solutions.

Become a River Watcher!

In collaboration with