Kia Corporation has developed the world’s first automotive accessory* made from recyclable plastic extracted from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) by The Ocean Cleanup. The announcement of the accessory* is an important milestone in its long-term partnership with The Ocean Cleanup. Since 2022, Kia’s support of the non-profit organization, which is dedicated to developing technologies to remove plastic from the world’s oceans, has been a key part of the brand’s continued transformation into a leading provider of plastic solutions. sustainable mobility.
As one of the most significant outcomes of the partnership so far, Kia is introducing a limited-edition heavy-duty trunk mat for the new Kia EV3 made from recyclable plastic harvested from the ocean by The Ocean Cleanup. The exclusive accessory* will be available for the EV3 in select markets and can be purchased online with the model’s market introduction.
Charles Ryu, executive vice president and head of Kia’s global brand and customer experience division, said: “This partnership is not only a testament to our shared commitment to environmental stewardship and innovation, but a global movement to create cleaner oceans. clean and healthy for future generations.”
“As the first genuine Kia accessory made from recovered ocean plastic, we are proud to see tangible progress towards creating a circular resource system for ocean plastic. “We will take advantage of the lessons learned during the recycling and product development process to continue making useful and beneficial products for our customers using recovered ocean plastic provided by The Ocean Cleanup.”
Inspired by Kia’s “Opposites United” design philosophy, the “geometric wave” pattern on the top surface of the heavy-duty trunk mat is reminiscent of waves and the flow of trash toward a collection area, echoing the process followed by The Ocean Cleanup to extract marine plastic. Made from 40% recycled plastic* from recyclable ocean plastic, the trunk mat* is as durable, protective and functional as a conventional trunk mat. Each mat also includes a QR code, providing customers with detailed information about the product development and partnership, as well as The Ocean Cleanup logo.
Since the start of the seven-year partnership in 2022, Kia and The Ocean Cleanup have worked tirelessly to find innovative ways to transform recyclable GPGP plastic waste into durable and practical products. Due to the characteristics of plastic collected in the ocean, the first phase involves sorting, recycling and processing the recyclable plastic to meet Kia’s strict quality standards.
Unlike plastics that reach the ocean, the plastic recovered by The Ocean Cleanup is made up exclusively of materials that were already in the ocean, making them more difficult to recycle. This means that the plastic must go through a standard Chain of Custody process to verify the traceability and integrity of the material**.
“We are very grateful to have a visionary and passionate partner like Kia, who shares our vision of ensuring that the plastic we extract from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch has a new life in sustainable items,” said Boyan Slat, founder and CEO. by The Ocean Cleanup. “Our mission is made possible by partners like Kia and we hope this launch is the first of many ways we will turn ocean plastic from trash to treasure.”
As part of the company’s ongoing goals to help protect the environment, Kia has proactively integrated recycled plastics and other recyclable materials into its latest models. This includes its flagship all-electric SUV, the EV9, which incorporates recycled fishing nets for carpets and recycled plastic bottles for seat fabrics, and the EV6, which uses fabric and carpets produced from recycled plastics.
To support its vision of becoming a pioneer in sustainable mobility, Kia has committed to increasing the use of recyclable materials in future products and raising the application of recycled plastic in vehicles to more than 20% by 2030, underscoring its commitment to create a circular resource system for ocean plastic^.
