Accra’s coastline became the centre of attention on Saturday as civil society groups, municipal authorities, and volunteers marked World Clean-up Day 2025 with a massive sanitation exercise at the beach in front of the Arts Centre.
The initiative, led by SOCODEVI, a Canadian NGO, in partnership with the Green Africa Youth Organisation (GAYO), Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED), Youth Mappers – University of Ghana, and the Korley Klottey Municipal Assembly, sought to highlight the worsening pollution along Ghana’s beaches and to rally public support for sustainable waste management.
Participants swept, dug out buried waste, and carted off truckloads of litter, while residents were sensitised on the “4Rs” of waste management — Recycle, Reuse, Reduce, and Recover.
Mrs. Martha Rainer Opoku Mensah, Principal Coordinator of SOCODEVI’s TogetHER Project, said the exercise was not only about beautifying the beach but about changing mindsets.
“Clean-up activities shouldn’t be ceremonial. They must become part of our everyday lifestyle if we truly want to protect marine life, promote tourism, and keep communities safe,” she said.
She urged municipal assemblies to step up education campaigns and provide waste bins at beaches to prevent indiscriminate dumping into the sea.
For Madam Mabel Naa Amorkor Laryea of GAYO’s Zero Waste Cities Project, the day’s exercise revealed the magnitude of the challenge.
“Much of the plastic and residual waste here had sunk deep into the sand. This is heartbreaking and shows why we must urgently move away from single-use plastics and embrace sustainable alternatives,” she noted.
The event, part of the global commemoration of World Clean-up Day, reinforced the message that protecting the environment requires collective responsibility. Organisers emphasized that Ghana’s beaches — vital for recreation, fishing, and tourism — can only remain safe and healthy if communities, government, and individuals act together.
“Every wrapper we dispose of properly, every plastic we refuse to use, and every beach we keep clean is a step towards a healthier environment and a more sustainable future,” Mrs. Mensah added.
