Hyundai turns ghost nets into recycled car floor mats with Healthy Seas

Off Catalina’s rugged coastline, a sunken vessel known as the Midnight Hour has been lying on the seafloor for 15 years, quietly collecting a lethal tangling of abandoned fishing gear. That submerged skeleton became a deathtrap for fish, birds and other marine life—until a crew of volunteer divers and conservation partners descended to cut, lift and reclaim those dangerous nets.

The recovery near Catalina Island is part of a growing collaboration between a nonprofit called Healthy Seas, Hyundai Motor Company and U.S.-based dive teams. Their work not only removes harmful “ghost nets” from the ocean but also turns many of the recovered materials into recycled nylon that becomes car floor mats—closing a loop from sea to showroom.

Recovering ghost nets: the Catalina operation

On a July mission documented by reporters, divers from Ghost Diving USA and volunteers from Healthy Seas worked along the wreck site, slicing through centuries of entangled line and hauling nets to the surface. Each pull revealed more than fishing gear—bags, ropes and other marine debris that had settled around the hull.

• Location: Wreck of the Midnight Hour, off Catalina Island.
• Teams involved: Ghost Diving USA, Healthy Seas, Hyundai representatives and local volunteers.
• Primary goal: Remove hazardous ghost nets and sort materials for recycling or safe disposal.

These coordinated dives are painstaking work: divers secure heavy net masses, cut them free, and raise them to boats where they’re cataloged and separated. Material that can’t be reused or recycled is disposed of responsibly to prevent it from returning to the ocean.

Turning ocean plastics into Hyundai floor mats

One of the most compelling outcomes of the partnership is the transformation of recovered nylon into an industrial yarn called ECONYL. That regenerated yarn is fed into manufacturing for a variety of products, including carpeted floor mats used in Hyundai vehicles sold overseas.

Hyundai began supporting Healthy Seas in 2021 and has since helped scale the program across multiple countries. By converting nylon from ghost nets into usable material, the initiative reduces raw plastic demand and gives maritime waste a second life inside consumer goods.

How the recycling chain works

1. Nets and nylon items are retrieved by divers and volunteers.
2. Collected materials are sorted and cleaned to remove contaminants.
3. Nylon is broken down and regenerated into ECONYL yarn.
4. ECONYL is manufactured into products such as floor mats and textiles.

The numbers: scale and impact of cleanup efforts

Healthy Seas reports that since 2013 its global removals have surpassed 1,300 tons of nets and ocean debris. With Hyundai’s backing, the partnership now operates in roughly ten countries, contributing to more than 320 tons of documented marine litter recovery tied to the automaker’s involvement.

Those figures point to a growing, measurable effort to reclaim lost fishing gear—a major source of ongoing harm to marine ecosystems. Removing even a single large tangle can reduce the risk of entanglement for dozens of animals and limit the slow breakdown of plastic into microplastics.

Community outreach and education tied to cleanup work

This isn’t just about hauling nets: the program aims to build awareness and inspire action. Near the Catalina dives, Hyundai organized a broader campaign called From Sea to Shore, which included a beach cleanup, volunteer events, and an educational workshop for children at a local Boys & Girls Club.

• Beach cleanups with company employees and community volunteers.
• Hands-on “Ocean Heroes” workshops teaching kids about marine conservation.
• Public storytelling and video content that shows the recovery process from underwater to factory floor.

Veronika Mikos, director of Healthy Seas, emphasizes the linked goals: removing litter from coasts, extracting ghost gear from the deep, and motivating the next generation to protect the ocean.

Why ghost nets are dangerous and what happens after recovery

“Ghost nets” are abandoned or lost fishing lines and traps that continue to catch animals indiscriminately. They drift with currents and can persist in the environment for decades. When divers remove these nets, they often find:

• Entangled wildlife and trapped fish populations.
• Heavy fouling by algae, barnacles and invasive species.
• Mixed debris—plastics, ropes, and other household refuse—that complicates recycling.

After recovery, crews separate material that can be recycled from items needing disposal. Cleanable nylon gets processed into ECONYL, while non-recyclable pieces are handled according to local waste management rules to prevent re-entry into the marine environment.

Ways individuals can support ocean cleanup efforts

Cleanups like the Catalina operation rely on volunteers, funding and public interest. People who want to help can:

• Join or organize local beach cleanups and river float clean events.
• Support organizations like Healthy Seas that fund and run recovery dives.
• Reduce single-use plastics and choose products made with recycled materials, including ECONYL-based items when available.
• Share verified coverage of conservation work to raise awareness.

By turning a hazardous byproduct of fishing into a usable material for cars and textiles, the partnership between Healthy Seas and Hyundai highlights a practical model for circular design. Their work off Catalina demonstrates how targeted dives and community outreach can both save wildlife and redirect waste into new products.

You might also like:

• 3D printer filament made from recycled fishing nets
• Bloomberg donates $260 million to turn high seas treaty into lasting ocean protections
• French Polynesia protects a biodiverse marine reserve twice the size of Arizona teeming with life
• 6 million sea urchins removed by volunteer divers saved California kelp forest
• North Atlantic right whale population slowly increasing, scientists say

Michael Thompson

Michael Thompson is an experienced journalist covering U.S. and global news. With ten years on the front lines, he breaks down political and economic stories that matter. His precise writing and keen attention to detail help you grasp the real‑world impact of every event.