Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor) and Healthy Seas have embarked on an extensive clean-up operation along the western coast of Greece, marking the beginning of their 2024 initiatives. This yearlong commitment targets abandoned fish farms and commenced with a 10-day intensive clean-up, combined with education and community involvement activities, aiming to restore polluted waters and promote healthier marine environments for local communities.
Building on their renewed partnership, Hyundai Motor and Healthy Seas are expanding their efforts to tackle marine pollution on a larger scale. Committed to a sustainable future, they will collaborate to combat marine pollution, restore ecosystems, and promote a circular economy through a series of global clean-ups and educational initiatives throughout the year.
“It is inspiring to witness the profound impact of our collaboration with Healthy Seas. Our joint efforts in 2024 aim to extend our reach, addressing the global challenge of marine pollution,” said Michael Cole, President and CEO at Hyundai Motor Europe. “This mission goes back to the very beginnings of our partnership and underscores the remarkable outcomes that can be achieved when diverse stakeholders unite for a more sustainable future.”
From May 15 to 24, Hyundai Motor and Healthy Seas launched their 2024 activities with a 10-day clean-up operation in western Greece. Targeting waters heavily polluted by abandoned fish farms, volunteer divers from Ghost Diving focused on removing large nets and debris that pose serious threats to marine life.
Despite the challenges, volunteers successfully removed numerous pollutants, including ring pipes, fish farm nets, polystyrene parts, and other harmful debris. These materials will be sorted and recycled, with nylon parts being regenerated into ECONYL® yarn by Aquafil. This contributes to new, sustainable products like the floormats in Hyundai Motor’s IONIQ 5, IONIQ 6, and all-new SANTA FE in Europe. The clean-up addressed significant ecological damage caused by abandoned fish farms, which release debris, plastics, and pollutants into the marine environment, disrupting ecosystems and endangering flora and fauna. By removing these hazards, Hyundai Motor and Healthy Seas are restoring safe waters for local communities, who depend on clean seas for tourism and leisure.
In total, 42.7 tons of marine litter were retrieved, including 11.3 tons of fish farming nets.
The collected marine litter will be recycled, including large nets used in fish farming operations found entangled on the seabed, surface structures such as rings or cages made of pipes and polystyrene, and various plastics washed ashore. Abandoned sites also led to the accumulation of additional litter on the beaches.
“Our mission goes beyond just cleaning up; it’s about reclaiming these waters for marine life and the people who depend on them. Collaboration is key in projects like this, where the private sector can support the public, raise awareness on pressing issues, and offer tangible solutions,” said Veronika Mikos, Director of Healthy Seas. “We are grateful to our partners and volunteers who are making this possible, especially to Hyundai for the four-year collaboration.”
Under Hyundai Motor’s ‘Progress for Humanity’ vision, the company aims to create shared value by scaling social impacts and building a sustainable business ecosystem. This mission inspired Hyundai Motor Company’s latest CSV (Creating Shared Value) initiative, ‘Hyundai Continue.’
‘Hyundai Continue’ focuses on three core areas: Continue Earth, Continue Mobility, and Continue Hope. Continue Earth reflects Hyundai Motor’s commitment to environmental advocacy and combating climate change. Continue Mobility aims to democratize and enhance mobility safety through technology and innovation, while Continue Hope focuses on educating and nurturing the growth of future generations.
Hyundai Motor’s CSV strategy in Europe, based on ‘Hyundai Continue,’ emphasizes three main pillars: Environmental Protection and Circular Economy, Innovation, and People. The partnership with Healthy Seas is a crucial component of the first pillar, fighting ocean pollution while fostering a circular economy.
