Ocean Cleanup Supports Marine Plastic Waste Removal and Resource Recovery
Expanding Cleanup to Oceans and Rivers… Preventing Waste Influx
On the 15th (local time), Kia announced that it was selected in the ‘Sustainable Management of the Year’ category at Newsweek’s ‘The World’s Greatest Auto Disruptors 2025’ awards held at the World Trade Center in New York.
Kia formed a global partnership in 2022 with The Ocean Cleanup, a Dutch non-profit organization, aiming to create a sustainable planet. This partnership has been recognized for its achievements over the past three years, earning them the award in the ‘Sustainable Management of the Year’ category.
Newsweek, a leading global current affairs weekly established in 1933, has hosted the ‘World’s Greatest Auto Disruptors’ awards annually since 2022. This year, creative change leaders, organizations, and products in the automobile industry were selected across 10 categories.
The partnership between Kia and The Ocean Cleanup, which won the ‘Sustainable Management of the Year’ award, was formed in 2022. Over the past three years, they have been actively involved in marine plastic waste removal and resource recovery, leading sustainable management and creating social value.
Particularly since the partnership was established in 2022, Kia has provided substantial support, including essential financial resources, enabling The Ocean Cleanup to collect over 1 million pounds (approximately 450,000 kg) of plastic waste from the Pacific’s ‘Great Pacific Garbage Patch’ (GPGP).
Ryu Chang-seung, Kia’s Head of Customer Experience Division, stated, “In the last three years, we have achieved an unprecedented marine plastic collection record with The Ocean Cleanup. We will continue our innovative efforts to provide solutions for a sustainable future and incorporate recycled ocean plastic into vehicle accessories.”
Julian Serrul, Chief Business Development Officer at The Ocean Cleanup, noted, “Building on our joint efforts over the past three years, we are now one step closer to achieving our goal of removing 90% of floating marine plastic by 2040. We will continue to cooperate closely to remove plastic waste from the oceans worldwide and provide a sustainable future for more people.”
Meanwhile, celebrating the third anniversary of their global partnership, the two companies plan to expand their cleanup efforts from the oceans to rivers, the source of waste influx.