

We’re cleaning up one of Europe’s most polluted rivers
Every year, 570,000 tons of plastic enter the Mediterranean Sea. That’s as much as 625 garbage trucks being dumped into the sea per day. Because of the Mediterranean’s unique geography, very little water flows out, so the plastic gets trapped. It smothers and entangles wildlife before disintegrating into microplastics. Even though the Mediterranean holds only 1% of the world’s water, it contains 7% of all microplastics. But what if there was a way to stop the plastic before it reaches the sea?
The mission
In the Kukës region of Albania, two rivers—the Black Drin from North Macedonia and the White Drin from Kosovo—merge into a single, powerful flow. With no proper waste management in place, tons of plastic collect behind a local dam, eventually washing downstream into the Mediterranean. It has become a gathering point for multinational waste to pile up. But this also makes it the ideal place for our partner, Everwave, to intercept and clean it up.



By repurposing a weed harvester into a large waste-collecting boat, Everwave is cleaning the river. But with the lack of waste management infrastructure, where does all the trash go? That’s why Everwave is building a brand new waste management facility in an old Soviet packaging factory. Thanks to the Planet Wild community, we’re funding a complete renovation, turning this abandoned building it into a fully functioning recycling plant and stopping tons of plastic from reaching the sea.
What we achieved
Ideal outcome
Our Partner
Clemens Feigl co-founded Everwave in 2017. Initially, he focused on the company’s communication and branding, before becoming CEO in 2021. With a background in sports science and training in journalism and presenting, he now brings a unique mix of skills to leading Everwave’s growth. His goal is to inspire companies worldwide to help build a more sustainable future.
Our Partner

Clemens Feigl co-founded Everwave in 2017. Initially, he focused on the company’s communication and branding, before becoming CEO in 2021. With a background in sports science and training in journalism and presenting, he now brings a unique mix of skills to leading Everwave’s growth. His goal is to inspire companies worldwide to help build a more sustainable future.