From River to Sea: Supporting Chaint Afrique’s Mission to Clean Ghana’s Waterways

On October 9th, 2025, Chaint Afrique launched the Plastic-Free Estuary Programme with a community cleanup at the Winneba Estuary in Ghana’s Central Region, supported by Healthy Seas, Access Bank, and LABEC.

Under the theme “Tidy Creeks – Healthy Seas,” the event brought together more than 80 volunteers, including fishers, students, community leaders, and local organizations. In just one day, they collected around one ton of waste, 60% of which was plastic. The activity raised awareness about the growing problem of riverine plastic pollution and mobilized the community toward long-term stewardship of their environment.

Local Action, Global Connection

Healthy Seas is proud to support Chaint Afrique’s work in Ghana, where river and coastal pollution threaten both biodiversity and livelihoods. Through the Plastic-Free Estuary Programme, Chaint Afrique is creating a bridge between local communities, businesses, and international partners to prevent plastic from reaching the sea.

This latest cleanup follows earlier initiatives that Healthy Seas has supported, including:

• An education day with fishers in 2024 featuring the Healthy Seas VR experience, helping communities understand the impacts of ghost fishing and explore circular solutions for discarded nets.
• A major cleanup at the Winneba Estuary of the River Ayensu in 2024, one of Ghana’s most polluted estuaries, where hundreds of volunteers came together to remove waste and raise awareness.

Each of these efforts forms part of Chaint Afrique’s long-term engagement with fishing communities through the NetCycle Africa program — an initiative that promotes the collection of end-of-life nets for recycling  also through Aquafil’s ECONYL® Regeneration System.

A Growing Movement for Cleaner Estuaries

The Winneba cleanup marks Phase 1 of a broader programme that will extend 100 km upstream, reaching six additional communities in the coming months. The project has already strengthened local partnerships, encouraged gender inclusion and youth leadership, and inspired new conversations around Ghana’s Blue Economy.

The team plans to return to the Winneba Estuary in late November or early December to continue the work, ensuring lasting results and deeper engagement with nearby communities.

Supporting Locally Led Change

At Healthy Seas, we believe real change begins locally. Our support to Chaint Afrique reflects our commitment to empower organizations that share our mission — preventing marine litter, supporting circular economy models, and protecting the biodiversity that connects us all.