Kia has been recognized with the ‘Sustainability Disruptor of the Year’ award at the 2025 Newsweek Auto Disruptor Awards, celebrating the company’s impactful three-year partnership with The Ocean Cleanup and its commitment to removing legacy plastics from the world’s oceans.
The award highlights Kia’s dedication to environmental sustainability, its continued support of The Ocean Cleanup’s large-scale ocean plastic removal efforts, and its innovative use of recycled plastic in vehicle accessories.
Since launching the partnership in 2022, Kia has played an essential role in advancing The Ocean Cleanup’s mission by providing financial backing, technical expertise, and in-kind support across logistics, mobility, and research. Together, they have developed new ways to recycle and repurpose recovered ocean plastics for use in Kia products.
As the partnership reaches its three-year milestone, the collaboration has contributed to the removal of more than one million pounds of plastic from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch—an area of floating waste between the west coast of the United States and Hawaii, covering a space three times the size of France.
Looking ahead, Kia and The Ocean Cleanup plan to expand their efforts to include river cleanup projects, aiming to intercept plastic pollution before it reaches the ocean. By addressing the problem at its source, the partnership is deepening its long-term commitment to global sustainability.
Kia’s work with The Ocean Cleanup is closely aligned with the company’s broader environmental goals. Beyond cleanup operations, both partners continue to invest in research and innovation, seeking new ways to integrate recycled ocean plastics into future mobility solutions.
This award underscores Kia’s role as a driving force in sustainable innovation across the automotive industry. Charles Ryu, Executive Vice President and Head of Kia’s Global Brand & CX Division said: “Over the past three years, our partnership with The Ocean Cleanup has reduced the amount of plastic waste in our oceans. This collaboration continues to drive scalable and lasting solutions for cleaner waterways, reinforcing Kia’s responsible material sourcing while strengthening our presence across The Ocean Cleanup’s growing global footprint.”
Julian Searle, Chief Development Officer at The Ocean Cleanup, commented: “Kia’s support in advancing our ocean cleanup initiatives marks an essential step toward achieving our broader goal of ridding the world’s oceans of plastic. This partnership embodies the power of collaboration and innovation in addressing plastic pollution. By working closely with Kia, we can make significant progress towards achieving our mission and contributing to the restoration of ocean health for people and the planet.”
