Kia Corporation has renewed the electric vehicle fleet it provides to global nonprofit organisation The Ocean Cleanup, strengthening the companies’ long-term partnership.
Kia Netherlands has supplied two Kia EV3s and two Kia EV4s to support the organisation’s daily operations from its headquarters in Rotterdam. The battery-electric vehicles will be used across operational activities as The Ocean Cleanup continues its work removing plastic waste from oceans and rivers.
The partnership between Kia and The Ocean Cleanup began in 2022, with Kia providing financial, technical, research and logistical support, including electric vehicles to assist the organisation’s operations.
Kia Europe Marketing Director Dante Zilli said the partnership demonstrates the company’s commitment to supporting practical environmental initiatives through long-term collaboration.
The Ocean Cleanup Head of Funding – Corporate Partnerships Riccardo Farina said Kia’s contribution extends beyond financial support, helping improve operational mobility while also supporting projects to investigate new uses for recovered ocean plastics.
Supporting daily operations
The latest fleet renewal replaces vehicles used by The Ocean Cleanup’s Rotterdam headquarters and forms part of the organisations’ broader collaboration.
The Ocean Cleanup has set a long-term target of removing 90 per cent of floating ocean plastic by 2040.
Recent milestones include:
- Collecting a record 55 tonnes of ocean plastic during a single operation in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in 2023.
- Completing its 100th ocean extraction in 2024.
Recovered plastic used in EV3 accessory
Beyond supporting cleanup operations, Kia and The Ocean Cleanup are continuing to investigate ways recovered ocean plastic can be recycled for selected automotive applications.
One example is a limited-edition EV3 luggage compartment liner manufactured using material that contains 40 per cent recycled ocean plastic recovered from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Both EV3 vehicles supplied to The Ocean Cleanup are equipped with the accessory.
The organisations are also assessing processes that enable recovered plastics to be reused while reducing the risk of waste re-entering the environment.
Tackling plastic before it reaches the ocean
The partnership also supports The Ocean Cleanup’s river interception projects through its 30 Cities Program, which aims to stop plastic entering the ocean via rivers.
The organisation has stated its goal of intercepting up to one-third of river-borne plastic pollution by 2030.
A recent initiative includes an expanded collaboration in the Los Angeles region, where Kia and The Ocean Cleanup are working together to intercept plastic before it reaches the Pacific Ocean.
Separately, Kia was named Sustainability Disruptor of the Year at the 2025 Newsweek Auto Disruptor Awards.
M.E. note: This is just such a worthwhile cause, as “The Ocean Cleanup” team continues to remove vast amounts of items, predominantly plastic, from the world’s oceans. Find out more here: https://theoceancleanup.com/
