This Blockchain Startup Wants to Save the Oceans, One Beach Cleanup at a Time
Oct 04, 2024
You are on the coastline of Kilifi on a random cool-down tour in September, and boom—a crew of tech enthusiasts armed with gloves, trash bags, and… blockchain emerges out of nowhere.
Surprised!
Beach cleanups are now on the blockchain. The mastermind behind it all is AquaPurge, a Web3 platform that’s taking sustainability to a whole new level.
I know what you’re thinking—why does a beach cleanup need blockchain?
Africa contributes 7.8% of global ocean plastic, second only to Asia’s 86%, and could surpass Asia by 2060 as the largest source of mismanaged plastic waste.
The platform uses blockchain’s data immutability to ensure that every piece of trash collected is accounted for, and every volunteer gets credit for their efforts.
Aquapurge isn’t just another do-gooder group offering advice from behind a screen—they’re out in the trenches, leading a revolution for cleaner coasts, one cleanup event at a time. It is rallying communities, tech enthusiasts, and environmental activists around a shared goal: making coastal cleanups not just a random act of kindness but an integral part of preserving our planet.
“It is self-evident that Africans, from Egypt to South Africa and from Guinea to Somalia, must protect our precious blue resources—our oceans and coastlines—whose unique ecosystems sustain the continent’s rich biodiversity, balance the food chain, and support social and economic development,” says Dr. Elham Mahmoud Ali, a Professor of Oceanography and Environmental Sciences at Suez University & National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences (NARSS), Egypt.
ETHSafari and the Cleanup Ethos
The recent ETHSafari, a major Ethereum community event, aims to bring together people from around the world to learn, hack, discuss, and celebrate the decentralized future.
The theme for the 2024 event was to focus not only on solving “Africa’s problems” but also creating “Africa’s innovations.”
Hence, Aquapurge’s founder, Ibrahim Aziz, led a team as part of a side event during ETHSafari to clean a section of the Indian Ocean. Along with partners like Celo and LiskHQ, and turned something as seemingly mundane as picking up trash into a scalable solution for planetary change.
On the sidelines of the conference, this incredible cleanup initiative turned a blockchain-curious crowd into an army of eco-warriors.
Forget mining Bitcoin—the EthSafari 2024 powered AquaPurge to mine collective conscience towards environmental sustainability.
Proud to share a tribute to one of the amazing side events during @ETHSafari
— Celo Europe 🇪🇺 (@CeloEurope) September 26, 2024
Led by @aquapurgeweb3 founder @ibraziz21, our crew came together for a cleanup event to foster sustainability and give back to the environment. 🌱 pic.twitter.com/utvCMngsXE
Cleaning Up Trash with Tokens?
It’s always heartbreaking to see images of plastic choking our oceans and marine life. But AquaPurge has a bold vision—one that blends community activism with blockchain tech. It has made it possible to collect trash while minting tokens, connecting to communities, and contributing to a healthier planet, all powered by a decentralized network.
This was best demonstrated in one of the biggest events, Africa’s Biggest Clean Up on September 21st. AquaPurge mobilized 390 volunteers and collected 711.64 kg of trash. That’s nearly the weight of a grand piano!
In partnership with Diani Youth Beach and Baus Taka, led coastal cleanups along Kenya’s scenic coastline, including Mombasa’s Old Town on International Coastal Cleanup Day.
AquaPurge also led beach cleanups on Saturday, August 24th, across Old Town, Mvureni Beach in Diani, and Mazingira in Kilifi, collecting over 950kgs of waste along the Kenyan coast.
Cleaning beaches while simultaneously incentivizing people using blockchain to track progress and foster sustainability is insane. Aquapurge’s blockchain technology ensures that these cleanups are transparent, measurable, and ultimately more impactful. An unexpected group has come along for the ride—crypto fans.
Environmental activism on another level.
Volunteers who participate in the cleanups get rewarded in tokens. These aren’t just meaningless tokens floating in cyberspace. AquaPurge envisions a future where those tokens represent real-world value, like access to exclusive environmental events, sustainable product discounts, or even as part of larger carbon offset projects.
And, it’s working.
Photos by @dianiyouthbeach on X
A Vision Beyond the Beach
So, what’s next ?
AquaPurge has already hosted and participated in 23 cleanup events, collecting 4,500 kg of waste in Kenya, Tanzania, and Argentina, but is still seeking to expand to other countries.
Their cleanup efforts are gaining traction in blockchain circles, earning a spot at the ETHSafari with the clear idea of how blockchain can be a driving force for environmental change. That’s the future AquaPurge is trying to build with its report-to-earn, participate-to-earn, and DAO-controlled funding wallet solutions . It continues to partner with tech giants like Celo and environmental groups like BMG, as the vision is getting clearer by the day.
Apathy, complacency, and ignorance aside, Aquapurge’s actions demonstrate that the future of clean oceans is as much about the bleeding edge of tech as it is about grassroots movements.
The message here is simple and powerful: start where you are, with what you have, and make an impact.
The Hiccups and the Hope
Great tech ambitions are bound to hit some bumps along the way. The integration of blockchain into real-world environmental efforts is still in its early stages. Thus, initiatives like Aquapurge face scalability, environmental cost, and capacity-building issues.
AquaPurge is keenly aware of these challenges. They’re working on solutions that use low-energy blockchain models (looking at you, Celo!). A data-driven approach helps identify coastal pollution hotspots to enable maximum cleanup impact.
Looking ahead, AquaPurge doesn’t intend to slow down. In fact, they’re scaling their initiatives, looking to involve more people and more partners.
As the organization continues to grow, we may soon see a world where ocean cleanups are just as much a part of daily life as checking your email or making that next Bitcoin trade.
Why It Matters
If you’re still wondering why you should care about blockchain cleanups, think of it as using tech to solve one of the world’s biggest environmental problems in a way that’s transparent, engaging, and sustainable.
So next time you’re enjoying a day at the beach and irked by the trash scattered everywhere, just know that this is a problem blockchain can fix.
It might sound a little weird at first—beach cleanups and blockchain—but that’s what makes it amazing.
You have any quetion?
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