Dubai, UAE – September 11, 2024 — Kia Corporation and its global partner, The Ocean Cleanup, are celebrating a pivotal achievement in their collaborative effort to combat plastic pollution in the oceans. Marking this occasion, the current System 03 has returned to the San Francisco port, where the inaugural System 001 vessel began its journey six years ago, after successfully collecting a substantial amount of plastic waste.
Since their partnership began in 2022, Kia’s contributions have facilitated the removal of over one million pounds of plastic from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP), the world’s largest floating waste accumulation, which spans approximately 1.6 million square kilometers.
The Ocean Cleanup has made notable strides in its mission to purge the oceans of plastic, announcing an ambitious timeline for cleaning up the GPGP. Data gathered from the current operational season indicates a possible cleanup within a decade, thanks to technological advancements. However, the organization is striving to cut this timeline in half, aiming for a five-year target.
Charles Ryu, Senior Vice President and Head of the Global Brand & CX Division at Kia Corporation, commented, “We extend our heartfelt congratulations to The Ocean Cleanup team for their relentless commitment to combating plastic pollution in the GPGP. We are proud to support their ocean cleanup efforts and we eagerly anticipate the next exciting phase of our collaboration, optimizing System 03 and its operations to accelerate the cleanup timeline.”
In 2025, The Ocean Cleanup plans to launch a new initiative focused on identifying “hotspots”—areas within the GPGP with high concentrations of plastic waste—to enhance the effectiveness of future cleanup missions.
Boyan Slat, Founder and CEO of The Ocean Cleanup, emphasized, “Our partnership with Kia is paving the way for organizations to effect real change. Together, we are demonstrating that innovation and dedication can significantly reduce ocean plastic, inspiring others to take action. The products developed from our collaboration will exemplify our collective progress and the effectiveness of sustainable solutions.”
Over the past two and a half years, Kia and The Ocean Cleanup have made strides in reducing plastic waste. In the initial six years of its operations, The Ocean Cleanup carried out 23 missions and completed over 100 plastic extraction efforts, removing more than one million pounds of debris from the GPGP, which constitutes around 0.5 percent of the floating plastic present.
As part of their joint vision to create a circular system for ocean waste, Kia and The Ocean Cleanup are exploring innovative methods to repurpose plastic pulled from the GPGP into valuable products. The first product, a car accessory designed for the Kia EV3, is set to be released in the fourth quarter of this year.
Kia is also incorporating recycled plastics and sustainable materials into its latest vehicle models. For example, the all-electric SUV EV9 features recycled fishing nets in its interior carpets and recycled plastic bottles in its seat fabrics. The EV6 includes mats and cloth crafted from repurposed plastics as well.
With a strong commitment to sustainable mobility, Kia aims to achieve a target of incorporating 20 percent recycled plastics in its vehicles by 2030.