Since the beginning of our partnership in April, Hyundai Motor and Healthy Seas have held eleven projects in seven European countries. The collaboration was initiated with the clear goal and commitment to developing a sustainable society by combatting ocean pollution, nurturing underwater ecosystems, and driving a circular economy.
The partnership’s activations range from waste collection activities, such as beach clean-ups and diving events to recover abandoned fishing nets, to educational programmes to teach children and local communities about the importance of keeping the world’s oceans clean.
Kick-off event in Greece
We held our kick-off event between 8 to 16 June in Ithaca. A storm picked up nets and other debris from an abandoned fish farm and scattered them into the sea, harming the local community and marine life.
We organised underwater and beach clean-ups while the local community could attend a public event to learn more about marine litter and the ghost fishing phenomenon.
To date, this was Healthy Seas’ largest project in terms of positive environmental impact and community involvement. Thanks to 45 participants, 20 divers, and 15 organisations, the event delivered great results in a short amount of time. The team cleaned four beaches and two bays in up to 30 metres of depth, recovering five tons of fishing nets, 32 tons of metal, and 39 tons of plastic waste, including 150 bags of polystyrene foam beads.
Underwater sea cleanups to protect biodiversity
As part of the partnership, Hyundai supports Healthy Seas with diving activities to retrieve ghost nets. In 2021, 72 volunteer divers helped recover ghost nets and other waste from European seas around Ijmuiden in the Netherlands, the Italian Lampedusa, Newcastle in the UK, the German Norderney, and Tossa del Mar in Spain.
Whether exploring shipwrecks, reefs, or beaches, we collected more than 78 tonnes of waste in the form of ghost nets, crab and lobster cages, lead, and other marine litter.
Educating children about ghost nets and marine protection
In addition to underwater cleanups, we also brought educational events to Valencia, the Dutch Ijmuiden, Milan, Paris, Costa Brava in Spain, and on the German island of Sylt. Most educational programmes were geared towards children from local schools, and since the start of the partnership, 900 children have participated. On top of interactive presentations on ocean protection and the ghost fishing phenomenon, the children could participate in beach clean-up activities, enjoy the Healthy Seas Virtual Reality Experience, play educational games, and observe recovered nets.
The educational event in Valencia was part of the pan-European test drive for IONIQ 5. The workshop aimed to educate lifestyle and sustainability influencers and media on marine conservation and environmental protection.