INNOVATION CENTER

In July 2024, OPR celebrated the opening of our 7,200 square foot waterfront facility in the heart of Kodiak, Alaska. The Innovation Center serves as an incubator for ocean plastics recycling and the launch point of our southwest Alaska  expeditions.

OPR's Innovation Center in Kodiak, Alaska.

All under one tent…

  • This is the place where ideas are turned into reality - where we develop and scale up new processes and technologies for sorting and recycling marine debris.

  • This is the place where we transform marine debris into recycled materials and products. Marine debris is sorted by material type, grade, and level of degradation, then it gets size-reduced, cleaned, and purified.

  • This is the place where we educate the workforce of the future. Students learn about safe and environmentally responsible operations, material characterization, material recovery, mechanical, chemical, and biological recycling processes, recycling unit operations, product development, performance testing, recycling markets, the circular economy, techno-economic analysis, life cycle assessment, policy, and more.

Recycling Services

OPR’s state-of-the-art ocean plastics recycling facility is open for business. Send us your marine debris and we’ll sort, recycle, and return it to commerce at its highest and best use.

If you’re interested in sending us your marine debris for recycling, please review our collection procedures.

OPR's 2024 internship cohort.

Opportunities at the Innovation Center

  • Engineering students from our partner universities are invited to apply for internships where they will learn to operate and maintain equipment at the facility, evaluate system performance, test recycled products, and learn all aspects of recycling from industry experts.

  • We occasionally solicit volunteers to help expand our recycling capacity. Sign up today to be the first to learn about upcoming opportunities.

  • We partner with organizations to provide workforce training.

  • Do you have expertise related to recycling? If so, we invite you to teach in person or virtually during our internship program.

Support the Innovation Center

  • OPR's Innovation Center in Kodiak, Alaska.

    Financial Contributions

    Your financial contributions help to build capacity and expand capabilities of the Center.

  • Equipment donations from Oregon State University

    Equipment & Supplies

    Donations of equipment and supplies allow us to grow faster and recycle more.

  • Students learning to use near-infrared spectroscopy to determine plastic types.

    Student Sponsorship

    Sponsoring a student expands our reach and increases our impact, and it could connect you with your next all-star employee!

Find Out How

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