Car maker Kia has signed up as sponsor of An Taisce’s Clean Coasts, a programme that works to protect Ireland’s coastlines and promote sustainability. The support coincides with Circular Week, an international series of events and initiatives being held to promote the circular economy and sustainability, which runs until October 27. Kia focuses on using recycled materials in its car making, including recycled ocean waste.
The South Korean company, which is a third owned by Hyundai, is a global supporter of the Ocean Cleanup, a non-profit body which is dedicated to developing and scaling tech to combat plastic pollution in the world’s oceans. In a recent milestone, the Ocean Cleanup retrieved 55 tons of plastic from the Pacific Ocean in a single operation. The plastic was then recycled and upcycled for use in the production of the fully electric new Kia EV9.
Clean Coasts is a volunteer network committed to the protection of Ireland’s beaches, seas and marine life. The alarming statistic that 88 per cent of marine life faces a threat to existence due to ocean plastic underscores the urgent need to address this environmental challenge. Ronan Flood, managing director of Kia Ireland, said that by 2030 Kia will have 20 per cent of all vehicle plastics coming from recycled materials.
A short video on the tie-up can be viewed here.
