Plastic Free Odv Onlus

What Plastic Free Odv Onlus does

Plastic Free Odv Onlus is an Italian non-profit organization classified as an Organizzazione di Volontariato (ONLUS), founded in 2019 and headquartered in Milan. The organization's stated mission is to combat single-use plastic pollution in Italy. It operates through a portfolio of structured programs targeting distinct stakeholder groups: civic cleanup events (open mobilization), Comuni Plastic Free (municipal engagement), Scuole Plastic Free (school education), Salvataggio Tartarughe Marine (sea turtle rescue), Ricerca Scientifica (scientific research into nano- and microplastics in collaboration with universities), Aziende e Plastic Free (corporate engagement), and Regali Solidali (branded merchandise). No proprietary technology platform, software product, or technical infrastructure is described in the available information; the operational backbone is volunteer coordination and program-based partnerships.

The organization is funded through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, the Italian 5x1000 tax designation (allocazione del cinque per mille), and merchandise revenue. With a workforce of 11–50 employees and a stated base of over 260,000 volunteers, the model relies on a heavily distributed labor force for field execution (cleanups, school visits, turtle rescues), with paid staff concentrated on coordination, partnership management, and program design. Corporate partners disclosed include Very Mobile, Fondazione Snaitech, Accenture, and Servier; academic partners include Università San Raffaele and IRCCS San Raffaele Roma.

All operations are concentrated in Italy; no international offices, cross-border programs, or non-Italian volunteer networks are described. The organization celebrated its 7th anniversary in July 2026, marking seven years since its 2019 founding. No leadership team is disclosed in the source material beyond the founder context implied by the founding date.

Name

Plastic Free Odv Onlus

Legal name

Plastic Free Odv Onlus

Website

https://plasticfreeonlus.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Plastic Free Odv Onlus is an Italian non-profit founded in 2019 that mobilizes 260,000+ volunteers across cleanup events, municipal and school programs, sea turtle rescue, and microplastics research with Italian universities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-profit Environmental Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Street & Public Space Litter Collection (Municipal Cleaning) (BPALAAAE)

Keywords

• Environmental cleanup services
• Volunteer mobilization programs
• Nonprofit environmental advocacy
• Marine wildlife rescue
• Plastic pollution education

Headquarters

HQ city

Milan

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Plastic Free Odv Onlus operates as a non-profit organization (Onlus) primarily funded through donations from individuals, corporations, and the Italian 5x1000 tax designation. Corporate partnerships also contribute through co-branded environmental initiatives.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Plastic Free Odv Onlus is an Italian non-profit association (ONLUS) founded in 2019 in Milan that combats single-use plastic pollution through volunteer-led environmental cleanup events. It runs seven named programs — Cleanup (volunteer cleanups), Comuni (municipal partnerships), Scuole (school education), Tartarughe (marine turtle rescue), Ricerca (microplastics scientific research), Aziende (corporate engagement), and Regali Solidali (solidarity-gift merchandise) — mobilizing over 260,000 volunteers and claiming to have collected more than 21 million pieces of plastic.

Product overview

Plastic Free Odv Onlus is a non-profit association (Onlus) dedicated to combating single-use plastic pollution in Italy. The organization offers a suite of interconnected environmental programs: Cleanup Plastic Free mobilizes over 260,000 volunteers for environmental cleanups; Comuni Plastic Free partners with municipalities through protocols and awards recognition; Scuole Plastic Free educates students in schools; Salvataggio Tartarughe Marine rescues and rehabilitates sea turtles; Ricerca Scientifica conducts research on nano/microplastics impact on the brain with university partners; Aziende e Plastic Free engages corporate partners in sustainability; and Regali Solidali provides Plastic Free merchandise as alternatives to disposable plastic products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 260,000+ volunteers mobilized for environmental cleanup activities
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Very MobilecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerVery Mobile partnered with Plastic Free for the Sea&Rivers initiative, recovering 2,980 kg of plastic and waste in Pisa, Palermo, and Torino with 298 participants. This collaboration demonstrates corporate support for environmental cleanup activities through employee volunteer participation.
• Fondazione SnaitechcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFondazione Snaitech collaborated with Plastic Free to remove 940 kg of plastic and waste from 3 Italian cities as part of their environmental commitment and community support initiatives.
• AccenturecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAccenture partnered with Plastic Free for the Season of Impact 2025 initiative, with employees collecting over 4,700 kg of plastic across 8 Italian provinces. This represents a significant corporate volunteer engagement program.
• ServiercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerServier collaborated with Plastic Free to collect over 1,000 kg of plastic in 4 Italian cities as part of their environmental sustainability efforts, extending their corporate social responsibility from healthcare to environmental stewardship.
• Università San RaffaelecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlastic Free collaborates with Università San Raffaele for scientific research on the impact of nano and microplastics, specifically focusing on effects on the brain.
• IRCCS San Raffaele RomacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlastic Free partners with IRCCS San Raffaele Roma for scientific research on nano and microplastic impact, contributing to the first Plastic Free research project.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Plastic Bank: Social enterprise addressing ocean plastic through collection incentives and recycled-content supply chains. Overlaps with Plastic Free on plastic-pollution mission but operates an earned-income, tech-enabled model rather than a pure non-profit advocacy model.
• The Ocean Cleanup: International non-profit developing technology to clean up ocean plastic. Comparable mission of removing plastic pollution but a tech-driven, globally operating organization with a different operational model than Plastic Free.

Broad incumbents

• WWF Italia: Italian branch of WWF with programs spanning marine conservation, biodiversity, and pollution. Comparable non-profit advocacy and volunteer engagement model, with a wider conservation mandate than Plastic Free's plastic-specific focus.
• Greenpeace Italia: Italian arm of global environmental NGO, running campaigns on plastic pollution, climate, and oceans. Overlaps with Plastic Free on plastic-pollution advocacy but operates a much broader portfolio across multiple environmental issues.

Direct peers

• Sea Shepherd Italia: Italian chapter of marine conservation NGO focused on protecting marine wildlife and habitats. Comparable to Plastic Free's marine wildlife protection and volunteer mobilization activities, with a stronger direct-action orientation.
• Let's Do It! Italy (Puliamo il Mondo): Italian non-profit coordinating large-scale volunteer cleanups (World Cleanup Day, Puliamo il Mondo). Direct peer in volunteer-led environmental cleanup mobilization across Italian municipalities.
• Surfrider Foundation Europe: European non-profit focused on ocean protection, beach cleanups (Ocean Initiatives), and plastic pollution advocacy. Closely comparable volunteer-driven cleanup and advocacy model, though operating pan-European rather than Italy-only.
• Legambiente: Italy's largest environmental association, running volunteer cleanups (Puliamo il Mondo), school programs, marine conservation, and policy advocacy. Directly comparable to Plastic Free in mission, volunteer-driven model, and Italian geographic scope.
• Marevivo: Italian non-profit focused on marine and coastal conservation, including beach cleanups, marine wildlife protection, and environmental education. Closely comparable to Plastic Free's marine turtle rescue and coastal cleanup activities in Italy.
• Amici della Terra (Friends of the Earth Italy): Italian branch of Friends of the Earth network, focused on environmental advocacy, waste reduction, and sustainability campaigns. Comparable non-profit advocacy model and Italian domestic footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/plasticfreeit
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCEYGN2OUWtTT9WWZL6eaLxA
• Facebookfacebook.com/plasticfreeit
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/plasticfree
• Instagraminstagram.com/plasticfreeit
• TikToktiktok.com/@plasticfreeit

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Plastic Free Odv Onlus