Towards a Greener Future: JCU Takes Part in Ostia and Trastevere Cleanup

The Office of Community Service in collaboration with the student-run Grassroots Club organized three cleanups in Trastevere and one cleanup in Ostia as part of a larger environmental initiative aimed at reducing the amount of waste in Rome.

The first clean up took place on Saturday, September 21st, in Ostia, a coastal town near Rome. More than 50 JCU student volunteers participated in Retake Roma’s World Coastal Cleanup Day, a non-profit grassroots movement committed to raising awareness of cultural heritage while respecting the environment. The Grassroots Club invited other JCU student organizations, such as Africans in the World Culture Club, Art History Society, Fandom Club, and STAND, all of which contributed to cleaning up the coastal area around Ostia.

JCU students during a cleanup in Trastevere

JCU student volunteers ran three more cleanups in Trastevere: one on Wednesday, October 2nd, another on Saturday, October 5th, and a third on Saturday, October 19th.

This semester, JCU took its first step toward plastic-free campus by removing all plastic cups from water fountains and distributing aluminum water bottles to the JCU community. This initiative was promoted by the Grassroots Club and sponsored by President Franco Pavoncello.

“Realizing that not only institutions but also single individuals are capable of fighting the environmental crisis that we are facing today is already a step towards more conscious living and, consequently, less pollution,” said Giacomo Di Capua, president of the Grassroots Club.

“Despite waste management issues in Rome, the John Cabot University community contributes daily to a better environment and a cleaner urban landscape through cleanups and the latest plastic-free initiatives,” said Di Capua.