HONOLULU — In a major step to tackle ocean waste and Hawaii’s housing challenges at the same time, Hawaii Pacific University (HPU) has opened a new Plastic Recycling Research Facility that converts marine debris into durable construction materials.
Operated through HPU’s Center for Marine Debris Research (CMDR), the facility aims to collect massive amounts of plastic waste drifting in from the North Pacific Garbage Patch and transform it into long-life products such as recycled lumber, scaffolding, and other infrastructure elements that could be used for affordable housing projects across the islands.
Since relocating its operations to Kalihi in June 2024, CMDR has already processed more than 227,000 pounds of ocean debris, much of it abandoned fishing gear like ghost nets and floats that pose a threat to marine ecosystems and coastal communities.
“No Hawaii-based fishermen use the type of trawl nets we find; this debris is overwhelmingly foreign, underscoring the global nature of this issue,” explained Mafalda de Freitas, HPU environmental scientist and director of the CMDR Megaplastic Program.
Teams of volunteers and students painstakingly sort the debris by type and polymer inside CMDR’s Kalihi warehouse. From there, the center works with recycling partners to find new life for this once-hazardous waste. One partnership with a recycled plastics firm in Nebraska has shown that discarded fishing nets can be turned into plastic lumber suitable for fencing, decking, benches, and other infrastructure needs.
But the vision goes beyond plastic lumber alone. The research team is exploring advanced manufacturing methods, such as large-scale 3D printing, to expand the range of products that can be made locally.
“Our goal is to produce products locally, sustainably, and durably, enhancing our community’s resilience and self-sufficiency, especially when it comes to building housing,” said de Freitas.
The center has also teamed up with a Kauai-based contractor to pilot new construction technologies, including interlocking scaffolding structures that can make concrete wall construction quicker, safer, and more cost-effective — a promising innovation for Hawaii’s urgent housing needs.
For HPU, the facility is about more than recycling — it’s about creating a circular economy that turns ocean waste into an asset. The initiative demonstrates how local innovation and global environmental stewardship can intersect to address climate change, reduce landfill waste, and support communities facing housing shortages.
Community members and students alike are encouraged to join volunteer clean-ups and learn how the collected debris gets a second life as useful, sustainable products. Researchers hope Hawaii’s approach will inspire similar solutions in other coastal regions around the world grappling with ocean plastic.
Originally reported by HNN Staff in Hawaii News Now.
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