Who is The Ocean Cleanup?
Founded in 2013 by Dutch inventor Boyan Slat, The Ocean Cleanup is an international non-profit organization that develops and scales technologies to rid the world’s oceans of plastic. By working closely with partners like Kia to intercept the trash flow from rivers and extract legacy plastics from the oceans, The Ocean Cleanup aims to put itself out of business once the oceans are clean.
Why has Kia partnered with The Ocean Cleanup?
The dilemma of movement
As a mobility company, Kia has been putting people on the move. Movement enhances and broadens our horizons, inspiring us to create new ideas. But what has greatly advanced us has also had an impact on our surroundings. This is the dilemma of movement. And it’s a problem we all need to tackle together.
Kia’s corporate vision
To become a leading Sustainable Mobility Solutions Provider for individuals, communities and global society, Kia decided to partner with an international non-profit that is making tangible progress in tackling plastic pollution.
What have we been doing? Explore our bold movements
Removing floating ocean plastic
The journey begins with The Ocean Cleanup's System 03, a large-scale system which efficiently concentrates the plastic in the ocean. Towed by two vessels, it uses a retention zone to collect plastic trash from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, the world’s largest accumulation of floating marine debris. The catch is then lifted and emptied onto the deck of the support vessel.
Sorting and offloading recovered ocean plastic
The plastic catch is separated into rigid and fibrous material, then stored in containers, offloaded at the dock, sealed and tracked for verification of origin authenticity, and transported to the recycling facility.
Developing recycled ocean plastic material
The fibrous material, such as fishing nets, is sorted by type of plastic and color, then processed using specialized recycling technology. The material is shredded, washed, dried and re-granulated into plastic pellets.
Applying recycled ocean plastic to Kia vehicles
The plastic pellets are delivered to Kia, and a durable product is designed and developed together with The Ocean Cleanup. The product is designed with recyclability in mind and production commences while always looking for ways to process any remaining waste. The product is then made available to consumers, adding new value to their lives.
The Kia EV3 Limited Edition Trunk Liner
The Kia EV3, Limited Edition Trunk Liner
In the vast expanse of our oceans, plastic waste drifts aimlessly - a stark reminder of mankind’s neglect on the environment. Turning discarded ocean plastic into a useful consumer product is certainly not an easy task. But Kia and The Ocean Cleanup have joined forces to reclaim this waste and give new life to what was once considered useless. From ocean waste to everyday worth, a small yet meaningful wave of change for a brighter tomorrow.
Geometric Wave design
Combining the functional considerations of modern lifestyles with Kia’s ‘Opposites United’ design philosophy, the top surface pattern design evokes the image of waves and debris flowing into a net.
Our materials
Made with 40% recycled ocean plastic* as part of Kia’s support for The Ocean Cleanup’s mission to rid the world’s oceans of floating plastic. The trunk liner is as durable, protective and easy to clean as conventional trunk liners. *Product is composed of 40% ocean plastics, 35% TPV and 25% inorganic.
Authenticity
Ocean plastic is extracted by The Ocean Cleanup from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and the traceability system is certified under DNV’s Chain of Custody Standard for Plastics Retrieved from the Hydrosphere, so buyers can be certain of both origin and authenticity of the reclaimed plastic. The logo is always accompanied by the QR code to deliver more detailed information.
Symbol of circularity
The limited edition trunk liner features the symbol of circularity and The Ocean Cleanup logo, signifying our joining of forces to reclaim plastic waste from the ocean.
Gallery
