Hyundai Glovis, The Ocean Cleanup team up to tackle ocean plastic problem

Hyundai Glovis, a logistics affiliate under Hyundai Motor Group, announced Thursday that it has forged a partnership with The Ocean Cleanup, a Netherlands-based nonprofit organization, to join international efforts to remove plastic waste from the ocean worldwide.

Under the partnership, Hyundai Glovis will utilize its vessels to gather information on marine waste. Special cameras will be attached to its vessels to identify the location and the size of the plastic waste. The information collected will then be shared with The Ocean Cleanup for plastic waste removal.

The partnership signing event was held on Wednesday at Hyundai Glovis’ headquarters in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, with top executives, including Hyundai Glovis CEO Lee Kyoo-bok and the Ocean Cleanup CEO Boyan Slat in attendance.

The Ocean Cleanup is a Dutch environmental organization that recycles plastic after extracting it from the ocean or blocking it from flowing into the sea from the river.

The latest partnership comes amid growing calls to address escalating global marine pollution.

"We place great value on fulfilling corporate social responsibility for sustainable development," an official from Hyundai Glovis said.

Hyundai Glovis' vessels, involved in intercontinental maritime transport, are well-suited for data collection on plastic wastes floating across oceans, which are difficult to locate.

Through the provision of its containers at the lowest costs, Hyundai Glovis will also assist in transporting the equipment developed by the Ocean Cleanup, including its flagship Interceptor Tender.

The Interceptor Tender is a small powered barge that uses a conveyor belt to extract the trash trapped by the U-shaped barrier. The equipment, loaded on Hyundai’s vessels, will be transported to oceans where plastic removal is needed.

"Through various collaborations with Hyundai Glovis, we aim to expand R&D efforts in developing efficient ways to remove plastic waste for a greener ocean," the Ocean Cleanup said in a statement.

Hyundai Glovis also plans to fund the nonprofit for the next three years.