Kia Partner “The Ocean Cleanup” Delivers Record 55-Ton Ocean Haul

Sep 9, 2023

Kia global partner, The Ocean Cleanup, sets a new record for the amount of plastic reclaimed from the world’s oceans
55 tons of ocean plastic delivered to Victoria, Vancouver Island, Canada
Plastics will be recycled; proportion to be used in future Kia models under multi-year partnership
Catch delivered to shore from 1.6-million-square kilometer Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) by The Ocean Cleanup’s System 002
The Ocean Cleanup announces scale-up to largest-ever System 03 in ongoing mission to remove 90% of floating ocean plastic by 2040
Initiative aligns with Kia’s mission to become a sustainable mobility solutions provider
Kia remains committed to more than 20% increase in plastic reuse by 2030 and achievement of carbon neutrality by 2045
View film of record ocean plastic reclamation here

Here at Classic Kia of Waukegan, we’re proud to be a part of a brand that cares about community on not just a local scale, but a global one. While here at home in Illinois we’re doing our part to help the environment and support sustainable business practices, Kia’s also taking the reins and making the world a better place, too! Kia’s global partner, The Ocean Cleanup, recently set a new record for the amount of plastic they’ve reclaimed from our planet’s oceans: a 55-ton haul from the Pacific Ocean in Victoria, Vancouver Island, Canada; Kia plans to use the 55-tons of reclaimed plastic in its new EV Models in upcoming production.

The Ocean Cleanup is an international non-profit project which aims to rid the oceans of plastic; the partnership between Ocean Cleanup and Kia marks the next phase in a seven-year global partnership agreement started in April 2022, and is part of Kia’s evolution into the leading sustainable mobility solutions provider.

The record catch of 55-tons was removed from the ocean using The Ocean Cleanup’s System 002, a special extraction technology to remove plastic as it made its lengthy voyage through the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP). Unfortunately, the world’s largest accumulation of floating waste has an estimated surface area of 1.6 million square kilometers. However, through efforts like this partnership between The Ocean Cleanup and Kia, small gains are being made to remove this debris and help create a cleaner ocean and healthier planet.

Following the announcement of its record haul, The Ocean Cleanup recently revealed its new System 03 Technology, which is nearly three times larger than System 002 tech, and can capture much larger quantities of plastic at a lower rate of cost per kilogram removed on a continual year-round basis. This is great news for the planet! This more sophisticated technology provides environmental monitoring and advanced safety features such as a brand new Marine Animal Safety Hatch, designed to protect marine life during the cleanup process. This new phase marks a glorious milestone in The Ocean Cleanup’s overall objective to see a 90% reduction of floating ocean plastic by 2040! Kia also remains fully committed and passionate about efforts towards a more sustainable planet and securing the wellbeing of future generations right to a safe, healthy planet; the company will continue its support of The Ocean Cleanup, as the crew of System 03 will all be decked in uniform overalls represented with the Kia Logo and colors.

Charles Ryu, Senior Vice President and Head of the Global Brand & CX Division at Kia Corp., commented: “The record catch of plastics brought to shore by The Ocean Cleanup for recycling is tangible proof of how technology can deliver sustainable solutions at scale. Kia’s partnership with The Ocean Cleanup demonstrates the brand’s commitment to having a positive impact. Initiatives such as this one perfectly align with Kia’s transition to a sustainable mobility solutions provider and our Plan S strategy, through which we embrace the needs of our customers and the protection of our environment by acting as a responsible corporate citizen.”

Nisha Bakker, Director Partnerships of The Ocean Cleanup, said: “This record delivery marks the end of the System 002 era for The Ocean Cleanup, and the perfect platform as we launch System 03. We are moving forward step-by-step, and we believe that System 03 represents the size of system required to scale up and expand our cleanup in the most economical way. Beyond System 03, we plan to deploy a fleet of systems that together will be capable of removing 50 per cent of the GPGP every five years. However, we cannot do this alone. Committed and valued partners, and particularly our global partner Kia, remain essential for The Ocean Cleanup to bring our shared ambitions of plastic-free oceans to reality.”

*BTX (Benzene, Toluene, Xylene)

About The Ocean Cleanup

The Ocean Cleanup is an international non-profit project developing and scaling technologies to rid the world’s oceans of plastic. They aim to achieve this goal through a dual strategy: intercepting in rivers to stop the inflow, and cleaning up what has already accumulated in the oceans. For the latter, The Ocean Cleanup develops and deploys large-scale systems to efficiently concentrate the plastic for periodic removal. This plastic is tracked and traced through DNV’s chain of custody model to certify claims of origin when recycling it into new products. To curb the tide via rivers, The Ocean Cleanup has developed Interceptor™ Solutions to halt and extract riverine plastic before it reaches the ocean. Founded in 2013 by Boyan Slat, The Ocean Cleanup now employs a broadly multi-disciplined team of approximately 140. The foundation is headquartered in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and opened its first regional office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 2023. For more information, visit: theoceancleanup.com and follow @theoceancleanup on social media.