Initiatives

Our forests and mountains are delicate ecosystems. To help protect them, choose a refillable bottle over disposable plastic and always carry a bag in your rucksack to take your rubbish home rather than leaving it along the trail. Nature will thank you!

But what should you do when you come across litter, face masks or cans left behind by others? If you care about this issue and want to do your bit for the environment, pick up what you find as you walk through the UNESCO-listed Dolomites and drop it into one of the dedicated Xchange Boxes. 

These wooden collection posts, crafted by a local artisan, feature a front panel in recycled plexiglass that lets everyone see just how much waste unfortunately ends up in nature.

The name Xchange Box reflects the idea of an exchange between people and nature: you hand in an abandoned piece of litter and in return get a cleaner environment. They’ve been designed to be accessible even to the youngest visitors, so that children can develop environmental awareness from an early age.

You’ll find the six boxes at: the primary school in Tonadico, Vallombrosa Park, Villa Welsperg in Val Canali, the start of the path from the Col meadows to Malga Civertaghe, at the forest roads junction that leads to Malga Crel and Malga Valcigolera, and in the centre of San Martino di Castrozza in front of the church. The material collected is properly sorted, and thanks to your contribution the waste left along the trails is given new life.