Kia has developed the world’s first car accessory – truck liner – made form plastic extracted from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) by The Ocean Cleanup.

Truck liner made of ocean plastics from Kia.

Partnering with The Ocean Cleanup

Since 2022, Kia has supported the non-profit organization, The Ocean Cleanup, to develop and scale technologies to rid the plastics in oceans. In the seven-year partnership, Kia and The Ocean Cleanup find innovative ways to transform plastic waste from the GPGP into durable, practical products.

Due to the unique qualities of the ocean plastic catch, the first phase involves sorting, recycling, and processing the plastic to meet Kia’s strict quality standards.

Unlike ocean-bound plastic, the Ocean Cleanup's catch is exclusively composed of materials that were already in the ocean, making it more challenging to recycle. This means that the plastic must undergo a Chain of Custody Standard to verify its traceability and material integrity.

Read more on Kia x The Ocean Cleanup: Ocean plastic: The Ocean Cleanup sets new record for plastic reclaimed

World’s first car accessory with ocean plastics

The truck liner is made of 40% recycled ocean plastic, 35% TPV and 25% inorganics. It performs the same as conventional truck liner in terms of durability, protection and function.

The design is inspired from Kia’s ‘Opposites United’ design philosophy. ‘Geometric wave’ top surface pattern is reminiscent of waves and the flow of trash into a collecting area, echoing The Ocean Cleanup’s process for extracting marine plastic.

Each liner also features a QR code, which provides customers with detailed information about the product's development and the partnership, as well as The Ocean Cleanup logo.

The limited-edition truck line is available for the all-new Kia EV3 in selected markets and available to order in line with the model’s market introduction.

Contributed to sustainable mobility

The company has integrated recycled plastics and other green materials in its latest models, including its all-electric flagship SUV, the EV9, which incorporates recycled fishnets for flooring and recycled plastic bottles for seat fabrics, and the EV6, which uses cloth and matting produced from recycled plastics.

Kia has pledged to increase the use of sustainable materials in its future products and raise application of recycled plastic in vehicles to more than 20% by 2030, underscoring its commitment to creating a circular resource system for ocean plastic.