Kia Corporation (Kia) has developed the world’s first car accessory made from plastic extracted from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) by The Ocean Cleanup. The announcement of the accessory is a major 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 and scaling technologies to rid the world’s oceans of plastic, has been a key part of the brand’s ongoing transformation into a leading provider of sustainable mobility solutions.
As one of the most significant outcomes of the partnership so far, Kia will introduce a limited-edition trunk liner for the all-new Kia EV3 made using ocean plastic received from The Ocean Cleanup. The exclusive accessory will be available for EV3 in selected markets and available to order in line with the model’s market introduction.
Charles Ryu, Executive Vice President and Head of the Global Brand & CX Division, Kia, commented: “This partnership is not only a testament to our shared commitment to environmental stewardship and innovation, but a worldwide movement to create a cleaner, healthier oceans for future generations.”
“As the first genuine Kia accessory made using reclaimed ocean plastic, we are proud to see tangible progress made toward creating a circular resource system for ocean plastic. We will leverage the lessons learned during the recycling and product development process to continue to manufacture useful and beneficial products for our customers using ocean plastic retrieved and provided by The Ocean Cleanup.”
“We are so grateful to have a visionary and passionate partner in Kia, who shares our vision of ensuring that the plastic we extract from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is given a new life in sustainable items”, said Boyan Slat, Founder & CEO, The Ocean Cleanup.
“Our mission is made possible by partners such as Kia and we look forward to this launch being the first of many ways we turn ocean plastic from trash to treasure.”
