Automaker celebrates a three-year milestone in its partnership with The Ocean Cleanup as it leads the charge for transformative environmental impact
Kia has been officially named ‘Sustainability Disruptor of the Year’ at the 2025 Newsweek Auto Disruptor Awards in New York City, a prestigious recognition that reinforces the brand’s unwavering commitment to environmental responsibility. The award spotlights Kia’s influential three-year partnership with The Ocean Cleanup, a non-profit organisation dedicated to removing legacy plastic from the world’s oceans, most notably the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
Since the inception of the collaboration in 2022, Kia has provided not only financial backing, but also critical technical, logistical and research-based support to help scale The Ocean Cleanup’s efforts. Over the past three years, this partnership has directly contributed to the removal of more than one million pounds of plastic from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch – an area of marine debris accumulation covering a surface three times the size of France, located between Hawaii and the US West Coast.
The milestone award from Newsweek not only recognises the scale of this environmental achievement, but also Kia’s innovative approach to sustainability within the automotive sector. From rethinking material sourcing to incorporating recycled ocean plastics into vehicle accessories, Kia has demonstrated how large-scale environmental action can be seamlessly integrated into brand strategy and product development.
“Over the past three years, our partnership with The Ocean Cleanup has reduced the amount of plastic waste in our oceans,” said Charles Ryu, Executive Vice President and Head of Kia’s Global Brand & CX Division. “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.”
As a result of this partnership, Kia is not only helping to remove existing ocean plastic, but also accelerating the recycling of recovered materials, helping to pioneer new avenues for incorporating ocean plastics into vehicle components. This innovative, circular approach to sustainability places Kia at the forefront of the automotive industry’s transition towards more responsible and eco-conscious practices.
Julian Searle, Chief Development Officer at The Ocean Cleanup, added: “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.”
Looking ahead, the partnership is set to evolve further, with plans underway to extend efforts beyond ocean-based cleanup. Kia and The Ocean Cleanup are working to tackle plastic pollution at its source through targeted river cleanup initiatives—an approach that promises to intercept waste before it ever reaches the ocean.
This forward-thinking collaboration aligns with Kia’s broader environmental roadmap, which includes bold commitments to carbon neutrality, sustainable manufacturing, and innovation in next-generation mobility solutions. As the brand continues to embrace its role as a sustainability leader, the Newsweek accolade is both a recognition of past achievements and a nod to the powerful trajectory Kia is shaping in the years to come.
