Kia and The Ocean Cleanup Expand Plastic Interception Project in Los Angeles Ahead of LA28 Olympics
Kia and The Ocean Cleanup are expanding their plastic interception operations to the LA and San Gabriel Rivers, aiming to stop plastic waste before it reaches the Pacific Ocean ahead of the 2028 Olympics.
386,945 pounds
380-570 tonnes
What Happened
Kia Corporation and The Ocean Cleanup have announced plans to deploy new Interceptor trash-collection devices in the LA and San Gabriel Rivers, complementing the existing Interceptor 007 in Ballona Creek. The expansion is supported by Los Angeles County, Long Beach, and Seal Beach, with completion targeted before the LA28 Olympic Games.
Kia became global mission partner of The Ocean Cleanup
Interceptor 007 entered permanent operating phase in Ballona Creek
Expansion to LA and San Gabriel Rivers announced
386,945 poundspounds
Since permanent operations began in 2024 in Ballona Creek.
“We're not just stopping plastic in rivers, we're setting a new standard for urban ocean protection on a city-wide basis.”
Why this matters
The project addresses the 380-570 tonnes of plastic emitted annually from LA rivers, part of a global effort by The Ocean Cleanup to stop nearly 80% of ocean plastic from 1,000 rivers.
Terms in This Story
- Interceptor
- A floating device designed to capture plastic waste flowing down rivers before it reaches the ocean.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.