View at a wide ocean and horizon

Cleaner seas start with collaboration and action

Kuehne+Nagel partners with the Ecoalf Foundation to support Upcycling the Oceans and advance circular, data‑driven logistics.


About the partnership


For more than three years, Kuehne+Nagel has been collaborating with the ECOALF Foundation, supporting ocean‑cleaning initiatives and contributing to the recovery of marine waste. Our partnership began with a shared belief: protecting the oceans is essential to the future of our planet and global logistics.

Kuehne+Nagel and ECOALF share a deep commitment to sustainability, circularity and the protection of marine ecosystems. As a global logistics company, we rely on the world’s oceans every day to move goods from one side of the planet to the other. This makes our responsibility clear: if we depend on the oceans, we must also help preserve them.

Through their foundation, ECOALF transforms marine waste into new resources and drives circular innovation. Kuehne+Nagel, through sustainable logistics solutions and decarbonisation efforts, works to reduce the environmental impact of global supply chains. Together, we combine circular innovation with responsible logistics, proving that collaboration can create real, measurable impact.

Our partnership is not just about supporting clean‑up projects. It’s about showing that logistics and sustainability can move in the same direction.

About the Ecoalf Foundation


The Ecoalf Foundation mobilises coastal communities and local partners to remove marine litter and raise awareness about responsible consumption.

Its flagship initiative, Upcycling the Oceans, brings together fishermen, ports, and recycling actors to systematically collect, sort and route waste for recovery. Operating across ports in Spain, Italy, France, Greece and Portugal, the project transforms waste into recyclable material streams while raising awareness of ocean health.

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A man throwing away waste into a yellow container.
A person carrying waste in a box.

How it works


  • Fishermen collect marine litter during regular fishing activity and bring it back to port.

  • At the docks, material is sorted and classified into plastics, metals, mixed waste.

  • Recyclable fractions are routed to qualified partners; non‑recyclables follow responsible disposal pathways.

  • Data from participating ports supports continuous improvement and awareness initiatives.

Real sustainable action, real impact


ECOALF’s commitment to circularity translates into real, trackable results.

  • 1,000+ boats

  • 4,000 fishermen

  • 290+ tonnes per year

  • 1,700+ tonnes of waste removed since 2015

  • 72 ports

  • 5 countries

Connect with us


Discover how your supply chain can contribute to cleaner seas. Talk with our experts today.

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Discover more about Sustainability


Learn more about Kuehne+Nagel’s other initiatives driving sustainable success across the supply chain.