The Ghana Clean-up Project
- Last updated on 7 January 2025
Background Information
RiverRecycle Oy, in collaboration with Beach Clean-up Ghana Ltd and Ambitious Africa, is implementing river cleaning technology to collect plastic waste in the Kpeshi Lagoon in Accra, Ghana. As a result of insufficient waste management systems, plastic waste often pollutes waterways flowing through the Accra metropolis and ends up polluting water bodies along the coast, like Kpeshi Lagoon, and ending up in the ocean. In Ghana, less than 2% of the 1.7 million tonnes of plastic generated annually is recycled, while 31% of uncollected plastics leak into the environment. The project aims to recover plastic waste from waterways, as well as the surface of the Kpeshi Lagoon, and process them to give them a second use, thereby curbing plastic pollution through its collection and through extending its longevity with recycling.
Through its partnerships, the project is making use of a paired land- and water-based plastic waste collection system with the assistance of local community members engaged in informal waste management. The collected high and low value plastics are used as a feedstock for mechanical and chemical recycling. The end products of the process are plastic flakes, plastic boards and pyrolysis oil that can replace virgin materials in the manufacturing process and the project team have successfully established two businesses through the sale of PET bales and recycled plastic boards to various local and international clients. Through this, the project is able to sustain its operations and contributes towards a circular economy by allowing future plastics to remain in circulation for longer. Altogether, this directly results in improved marine ecosystem health and biodiversity by lessening the amount of plastic waste that is transported through water ways to coastal water bodies and into the ocean.
RiverRecycle and partners embed community involvement in their project and commit to provide full-time positions to local workers as well as actively involve informal waste workers/waste pickers. This provides them with secured and additional income streams from the sale of low-value plastic and brings positive changes to their livelihoods. It also fosters an urban symbiosis as the project provides alternative, free-of-charge plastic waste management methods through these waste collectors for the local community and local businesses, thereby avoiding the plastics being burned, leaked into the environment or discarded in dumpsites and unhygienic landfills without a proper landfill gas capture system.
The primary outputs and targets for this project include:
- Reduce plastic leakages into the environment through having three river cleaning sites operational and recovering approximately 24 tonnes of plastic (240 tonnes of floating debris) annually.
- Increase the recycling rate, thereby contributing to the transition to circular economy and creating a closed-loop lifecycle for plastics – The project would strengthen the recycling climate, especially for low-value plastic through (i) achieving a recycling capacity of 330 tonnes of low value plastic, and (ii) increasing PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic collection and processing volume to 360 tonnes annually.
- Create 50 jobs for the local community and engage 200 informal waste pickers in our collection network.
Updates
RiverRecycle has made notable progress across all work packages, with the majority of activities proceeding according to the forecasted work plan. Below is a breakdown of achievements, challenges, and ongoing efforts:
River Cleaning Operation
The project has established a valuable partnership with the Polo Beach Club, located on Labadi Beach. This collaboration has enabled them to streamline their waste management process by utilising the club’s dustbins to temporarily store the residue from collected floating debris after separating the recyclable plastics. Once debris reach a predetermined volume, it is transported to the landfill, which helps reduce the frequency of trips and improves efficiency.
Additionally, the project has expanded the deployment of booms along the Kpeshie Lagoon. A second set of booms were installed upstream of the initial site, enhancing their ability to capture floating waste. During gear mechanism testing, the project identified a technical issue with the size of the circular wheel used to pull the cable. The local craftsman modified the wheel to increase its capacity, which should improve the overall effectiveness of the system.
Plastic Board Production
The plastic board production trial has progressed significantly. After resolving prior issues with electricity supply, the project completed their first trial cycle of production using shredded low-value plastics as feedstock. The trial successfully yielded several plastic boards with a smooth finish. While this marks a substantial achievement, there are areas for improvement, particularly in refining the board’s edges and achieving a consistently high-quality surface.
To further optimise production, they are experimenting with different material compositions, seeking to achieve various aesthetic finishes that could cater to different market demands. Looking ahead, the project is planning a launch event in partnership with the Finnish High Commission in January or early February 2025. This event will provide a platform to showcase their plastic boards to a wider audience, including Finnish companies and potential buyers.
PET Bale Business
The PET bale business has shown promising developments this quarter: two containers of PET bales were successfully delivered to their buyer, Ecoiberia, which is a key milestone in maintaining a steady output from collection efforts. Furthermore, there is an observed upward trend in PET pricing, with the market rate currently at EUR 500 per ton. This price increase is a positive indicator for the business model, as it supports the financial sustainability of the PET collection and sale process.
Feedstock Management
The installation of a second baler has been a critical improvement for operations this quarter. It has enhanced the productivity of the facility, enabling the project to process and bale PET bottles more efficiently while freeing up much-needed storage space. The additional baler also supports growing feedstock needs for the plastic board production, as they continue to sort and shred low-value plastics (by colour and type) for ongoing production trials. This improved capacity will allow for higher production targets to be met in the coming months and better utilise the material collected through buyback centres.
Community Engagement
Community engagement remains a cornerstone of the RiverRecycle project, with six buyback centres now fully operational. The Nima buyback centre serves as the primary hub, with other centres strategically located in accessible, high-traffic areas, such as:
- Nungua buyback point near Nungua Police Barrier,
- Legon point at the University of Ghana’s second gate,
- Tseaddo point near Tseaddo DVLA,
- the Dome point near Pillar 2 (established in November), and
- Kasoa New Market.
Kasoa is the newest addition, expanding the project’s reach to another city and enabling more community members to participate in the collection and recycling process.
Connect with RiverRecycle Oy
Websites
Timeframe
Status
Countries of Implementation
Consortium Partners
Showcase Resources
The Ghana Clean-up Project: Profile Sheet
Project document highlighting the significant impact of the collection initiatives implemented in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana: Collection Data Overview 2023-2024
RiverRecycle’s Project Launch: Kpeshi Lagoon cleanup with UK Aid and SMEP
RiverRecycle’s Project Annual Review: Ghana Clean-up Project: Report of Operations for the Year 2022
Blog post by Ambitious Africa: Ghana generates nearly a million tonnes of plastic waste every year: Here’s how Ambitious Africa and our partners, Riverrecycle and Beach Cleanup Ghana are responding to this massive problem
SMEP Showcase Story: How the Ghana Clean-up Project is supporting SMEP’s Social Value Model through tackling plastic pollution
