Partnering with Healthy Seas.

Hyundai is proud to partner with the NGO Healthy Seas. With our commitment to developing emission-free mobility solutions, and Healthy Seas’ expertise in protecting marine ecosystems, we share a vision for making the world a better place for future generations.

Working together to help protect the oceans.

The world’s oceans play a major role in sustaining life on Earth, but they are constantly threatened. Hyundai is partnering with Healthy Seas to help remove plastic and fishing debris from the sea. A report by the United Nations estimates that more than 580 million kilogrammes of fishing gear are discarded in the ocean annually, accounting for one-tenth of all marine litter.
A diver from Ghost Divers recovering marine debris underwater.
Photo credits: Michael Westreicher | Ghost Diving

Hands on help: Healthy Seas’ activities.

Healthy Seas’ activities are threefold. They work with volunteer divers to recover abandoned fishing nets, known as ‘ghost nets’, from reefs and shipwrecks. Secondly, they organise educational programmes at schools to teach children the importance of keeping the oceans clean. Finally, they collaborate with fishermen and communities to prevent fishing nets from ending up in landfills or the sea.
  1. Two divers from Ghost Divers recovering discarded fish nets underwater for recycling.
    Photo credits: Cor Kuyvenhoven | Ghost Diving

    Recovering fishing nets.

    Hyundai and Healthy Seas work with volunteer divers from the ‘Ghost Diving’ charity to recover abandoned fishing nets from reefs and shipwrecks. These ‘Ghost Nets’ continue to kill marine wildlife underwater for decades. By removing marine debris, Healthy Seas ensures the survival of a healthy underwater ecosystem for a sustainable future.
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  1. A volunteer from Healthy Seas doing environmental educational outreach with a student.
    Photo credits: Cor Kuyvenhoven | Ghost Diving

    Educational outreach at schools.

    A further aspect of Healthy Seas’ efforts to protect the oceans is educational outreach. They organize educational programmes at local schools to teach children the importance of keeping the world’s oceans clean. In hopes of preventing more ocean pollution, younger generations learn about the negative effects it can have on marine and human life.
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  1. A recovery barge covered with marine debris salvaged from the ocean by Healthy Seas.
    Photo credits: Veronika Mikos | Healthy Seas

    Collaboration with fishermen.

    Healthy Seas collaborates with fishermen, fish farms, and local communities to prevent fishing nets from ending up in landfills or the environment. Together, they work on solutions to dispose of the nets responsibly.
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Saving Ithaca’s seas by removing 76 tons of debris.

Hyundai’s first clean-up activity with marine conservation organisation Healthy Seas started on World Oceans Day - 16th June 2021 - in Ithaca, Greece. To restore Ithaca’s beauty and support the local community, Hyundai is helping Healthy Seas with their biggest clean-up initiative ever. The partnership with Hyundai enabled Healthy Seas to organise this ambitious clean up.
  1. An aerial view of abandoned fish farm in Ithaca, Greece.
    Photo credits: George Lilas | Odyssey

    Abandoned fish farm.

    After a fish farm was abandoned in 2012, fish farming cages, nets, and other equipment were been left behind, polluting the natural environment.
  2. Debris from abandoned fish farm in Ithaca, Greece washed onto the beach.

    Ravaged by a cyclone.

    In 2020, a cyclone ravaged Ithaca. The abandoned nets and cages were ripped from their moorings, scattering plastic pipes, nets, ropes, and buoys.
  3. An ocean bay in Ithaca, Greece with turquoise-coloured water.

    Restoring Ithaca’s beauty.

    Hyundai is helping Healthy Seas with their biggest clean-up initiative ever, bringing together technical divers, local NGOs, businesses and residents.

    BBC Documentary: Saving Ithaca's Seas.

    BBC was there to document the project, telling the story of the clean-up, its impact on the environment, and the collaboration by the many partners involved. You can watch a 7-minute version of documentary here by clicking play below.

    Clearing Ithaca’s seas of lost fishing nets and gear.

    The team recovered 76 tonnes of debris from the sea, coastline, and beaches. In addition to removing the waste, divers from the Ghost Diving organisation – including Erik Wurz, marine biologist at Wageningen University – conducted scientific research to assess the impact of the pollution on the local environment. Overall, it represented the biggest ocean clean-up in the history of Healthy Seas.
    Debris salvaged by Healthy Seas volunteers, bagged up and waiting for transport in Ithaca, Greece.
    Photo credits: Veronika Mikos | Healthy Seas
    Michael Cole, President and CEO of Hyundai Motor Europe
    As a purpose-driven company, Hyundai understands that recycling and sustainability aren’t trends, but rather a need for our society. Beyond providing zero-emission mobility solutions on land, we also care about protecting fragile ecosystems at sea and we are confident that with our partner Healthy Seas we will manage to have a big impact.

    - Michael Cole - President and CEO of Hyundai Motor Europe -

    From waste to wear: recycled nylon yarn used by Hyundai.

    Working with a network of partners, Healthy Seas helps recycle plastic waste into new materials in a circular economy. Reclaimed fishing nets and other nylon waste becomes ECONYL®, a regenerated nylon yarn that is used to make new products. This is important for Hyundai, as we plan to use it in our cars. A 1st step was made with the IONIQ 5, which can be ordered with floor mats made of ECONYL®.