Ocean plastic pollution continues to escalate, with close to half a billion pounds of plastic entering global waterways each year. In response to this growing crisis, VeChain and environmental organization 4ocean have formed a partnership aimed at combining blockchain transparency with direct cleanup action. The collaboration is designed to remove 300,000 pounds of plastic waste from oceans, rivers, and coastlines in 2025 while ensuring that every cleanup effort is verifiable and accountable.
The initiative was officially introduced during a beach cleanup event in Miami, where the UFC Foundation joined VeChain and 4ocean to demonstrate how blockchain technology can support environmental conservation. At the center of the initiative is Cleanify, an application built on VeChain’s VeBetter platform, which allows participants to record cleanup activities, track verified environmental impact, and receive rewards for sustainable behavior through a Clean-to-Earn framework.
Verifiable Impact Through Blockchain Records
The partnership leverages blockchain technology to create what the organizations describe as Sustainability Proofs. These records are permanently stored on the VeChainThor blockchain, ensuring that each cleanup activity is timestamped, traceable, and resistant to alteration. By doing so, the collaboration addresses a long-standing challenge in sustainability initiatives, namely the difficulty of confirming whether reported environmental actions actually occurred.
Each cleanup logged through the Cleanify app is recorded on VeChain’s public ledger, creating a transparent audit trail from the moment waste is collected to when impact metrics are reported. This approach is intended to strengthen trust among participants, partners, and supporters by providing clear evidence of real-world environmental outcomes rather than relying on unverified claims.
Incentivizing Global Participation
The program is designed to encourage participation from individuals regardless of location. Participants can carry out cleanup activities in a wide range of environments, including beaches, parks, rivers, and even private spaces such as backyards. Once these actions are verified through the platform, users receive digital rewards in the form of VeBetter B3TR tokens, along with physical recognition such as 4ocean bracelets made from recovered ocean plastic.
According to 4ocean leadership, the improved verification layer enabled by VeChain’s technology allows participants to clearly understand how their efforts translate into measurable environmental impact. The partnership has set an initial goal equivalent to removing approximately 14.4 million single-use plastic water bottles from the environment within its first year, reinforcing its focus on tangible outcomes.
2026 is the year we see blockchain make a real difference in the world.
Learn how VeChain, in partnership with forward-facing companies like @4ocean, are already leading the way. pic.twitter.com/eCYCclrpjc
— VeChain (@vechainofficial) December 22, 2025
Sweepstakes and Community Engagement
The collaboration also includes an 11-month sustainability sweepstakes scheduled to run from February through December 2025. During this period, participants in the United States who complete a minimum number of verified actions can earn signature 4ocean bracelets. Additional incentives are offered through referral activities, where participants can unlock premium bracelets if individuals using their reference codes successfully complete cleanup tasks.
By combining gamification with verified impact, the program seeks to build a large, engaged community centered on sustainable habits and environmental responsibility.
VeChain’s Broader Sustainability Strategy
VeChain positions itself as an enterprise-grade blockchain platform with a strong focus on sustainability, supply chain transparency, and real-world adoption. Its collaboration with Boston Consulting Group has contributed to the development of frameworks that make blockchain-based sustainability tools more accessible to everyday users.
The VeChainThor blockchain is also highlighted for its energy efficiency, consuming a fraction of the energy used by comparable blockchain platforms. This low-energy design aligns with the environmental goals of the Cleanify initiative and supports the broader argument that blockchain technology can be part of the solution rather than a contributor to environmental challenges.
VeChain’s ongoing multi-year partnership with the UFC further supports the expansion of its VeBetter ecosystem, using high-visibility collaborations to promote sustainable action at scale. Together, VeChain and 4ocean are positioning blockchain as a practical tool for driving verified environmental impact rather than a purely financial technology.
