Moore Institute for Plastic Pollution Research

What Moore Institute for Plastic Pollution Research does

Moore Institute for Plastic Pollution Research (MIPPR) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research institute headquartered in Long Beach, California, founded in 2020 as a spinoff of Algalita Marine Research and Education. The organization operates a state-of-the-art microplastics laboratory and provides accredited scientific research, analysis, and testing services centered on plastic pollution in environmental, consumer, and biological matrices. Its primary commercial function is California-certified microplastic testing in drinking water under the state's SWB-MP1 methods (certified September 1, 2024), where MIPPR is the first nonprofit laboratory accredited to perform regulatory compliance analysis under Field of Accreditation 102 — Inorganic Chemistry of Drinking Water. Customers include California drinking water utilities (driven by California state regulatory mandates), the California State Water Resources Control Board, academic and institutional researchers, and industry partners seeking testing services across drinking water, surface water, wastewater, sediment, soil, dust, food, and biological tissues.

The institute's product and technology stack spans laboratory instrumentation, open-source software, and AI-enabled tools. Core technology is built around FTIR and Raman spectroscopy combined with high-throughput particle identification spanning size classes from 2 μm to greater than 500 μm. Software assets include OpenSpecy, an open-source spectral matching platform distributed as an R package on CRAN with a 40,000+ spectrum library, 2,000+ global users, and 536 academic citations; the Possibility Lab suite of Data Validation Portal, Microplastic Image Explorer, and Microplastic Data Analysis tools; and Trash AI, an open-source computer vision model for trash classification developed in partnership with Code for Sacramento. Research projects include the WaterPact Project (microplastics monitoring workflows for water partners) and No Trace Trails (Pacific Crest Trail trash surveys covering 2,650 miles and 251 waste surveys).

MIPPR's business model is hybrid nonprofit: revenue is generated through (1) fee-based professional microplastic analysis services delivered directly from its Long Beach laboratory via chain-of-custody sample submission, (2) tax-deductible donations at tiers of $25, $50, $75, $100, $1,000, or custom amounts (plus board-member annual contributions of $100), and (3) grants and partner funding such as The Possibility Lab's support for tool development. The organization is led by Executive Director Dr. Win Cowger (Ph.D., UC Riverside) and co-founders Captain Charles Moore (discoverer of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in 1997), Shelly Moore, and Katie Allen, with a leadership team including a Director of Operations, Data Director (Bren School-trained), Lab Manager (UC Berkeley), and a research staff of ~15. Go-to-market is direct sales-led, supplemented by academic publications, conferences, and a multi-channel social presence; distribution is single-country/domestic (United States).

Name

Moore Institute for Plastic Pollution Research

Legal name

Moore Institute for Plastic Pollution Research

Website

https://mooreplasticresearch.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Moore Institute for Plastic Pollution Research is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit laboratory in Long Beach, California, conducting accredited microplastics testing and open-source spectroscopy research. It serves California drinking water utilities, state regulators, academic researchers, and industry partners with FTIR/Raman-based analysis and tools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Testing and Research Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Emerging Contaminants Testing & Risk Management (PFAS, microplastics, pharmaceuticals) (EUANAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Quality Monitoring, Compliance & Reporting (Sampling, Lab, Regulatory) (EUANAAAG), Emerging Contaminants Testing (PFAS, Microplastics) (AFALAFAI), Wastewater & Industrial Effluent Monitoring (NPDES/Permit Compliance) (EUAHACAD)

Keywords

• Microplastic analysis services
• Spectroscopy testing laboratory
• Plastic pollution research
• Drinking water analysis
• Environmental laboratory services

Headquarters

HQ city

Long Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Microplastic Analysis Services: California-certified microplastic analysis services for drinking water utilities, regulatory agencies, researchers, and industry partners. Testing across environmental, consumer, and biological samples.
2. Donations: 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization accepting tax-deductible donations. Board members required to make annual contributions. Public donations via PayPal and cryptocurrency.
3. Grants and Funding: Funding from organizations and agencies to support research activities and tool development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Moore Institute for Plastic Pollution Research operates an accredited laboratory providing California-certified microplastic analysis services using FTIR and Raman spectroscopy across environmental, consumer, and biological sample matrices. The institute complements its testing services with open-source software tools (OpenSpecy, Data Validation Portal, Microplastic Image Explorer, Microplastic Data Analysis, Trash AI) and research projects such as No Trace Trails and the WaterPact Project to support regulatory compliance, scientific research, and standardized plastic pollution data collection.

Product overview

The Moore Institute for Plastic Pollution Research operates a portfolio of interconnected scientific products and services centered on microplastic analysis. Core offerings include OpenSpecy (open-source spectral matching software), The Possibility Lab suite (Data Validation Portal, Microplastic Image Explorer, and Microplastic Data Analysis tools), and Trash AI (computer vision for trash classification). The organization provides accredited microplastic testing services using spectroscopy equipment, and conducts research projects including No Trace Trails and WaterPact. All products emphasize high-throughput analysis, open-source accessibility, and data standardization for regulatory compliance and scientific research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MIPPR: Acronym for Moore Institute for Plastic Pollution Research, used as a short-form brand name.
• OpenSpecy
• The Possibility Lab
• No Trace Trails
• Trash AI
• WaterPact Project

Quantifiable outcome

• 536 citations for OpenSpecy spectral analysis tool
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Algalita Marine Research and EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMIPPR works closely with its sister organization Algalita, which was founded by Captain Charles Moore in 1994 and started the movement to end plastic pollution nearly 25 years ago. Algalita has sparked connections between scientists, policymakers, corporations, young change-makers, and subject matter experts across the globe. MIPPR was launched by Algalita in 2020 to expand research focus beyond ocean plastics to investigate how plastics pollute the entire biosphere.
• Code for SacramentocoreTechnology or IntegrationCode for Sacramento developed the Trash AI open-source project imagined by Executive Director Dr. Win Cowger. Anyone can upload photos of trash and the program will classify the trash in the picture. This data can be downloaded and shared by anyone.
• Ocean Protection CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Win Cowger works with government agencies like the Ocean Protection Council to implement science in practice for plastic pollution solutions.
• Let's Do It WorldminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Win Cowger works with nonprofit groups like Let's Do It World to implement science in practice for plastic pollution assessment.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pace Analytical: U.S. commercial environmental testing laboratory providing regulated drinking water and emerging contaminant analyses, including microplastics. Competes for the same California utility testing customers with broader analytical capabilities.
• 5 Gyres Institute: 501(c)(3) nonprofit conducting research and advocacy on plastic pollution, including microplastic measurement in waterways. Directly comparable mission, governance structure, and target audience of researchers, policymakers, and engaged donors.
• SGS Environmental Services: Global inspection, verification, testing, and certification company with a large environmental laboratory network serving utilities and industry. Comparable accredited water testing offering at much greater geographic and operational scale.
• Algalita Marine Research and Education: Sister nonprofit organization founded by Captain Charles Moore in 1994 that originally focused on plastic pollution research and education, and from which MIPPR was spun off in 2020. Operates the same founder, overlapping mission, and shared governance structure.
• Eurofins Environment Testing: Largest global network of commercial environmental testing laboratories, including accredited drinking water and microplastics analysis. Direct competitor for California utility testing contracts with multi-site capacity MIPPR lacks.

Broad incumbents

• Surfrider Foundation: Established nonprofit focused on coastal water quality, marine debris, and plastic pollution. Operates volunteer-driven beach cleanup and water testing programs comparable in theme and donor base, but with a broader environmental remit.
• Ocean Conservancy: Large marine-focused nonprofit that runs the International Coastal Cleanup and engages in plastic-pollution science and policy. Overlaps thematically on microplastics research and education, but at significantly greater scale and broader ocean focus.
• Bureau Veritas: International testing, inspection, and certification firm with established water and environmental testing services. Relevant as a broad incumbent with potential to enter or expand microplastic testing at scale.
• ALS Environmental: Global testing services provider with environmental and water quality laboratories across North America. Overlaps as a potential large-scale competitor for emerging-contaminant testing mandates.

Emerging players

• Plastic Pollution Coalition: Global nonprofit alliance focused on reducing plastic pollution through advocacy and science, with overlapping audience of researchers and activists. Partial overlap in mission but focused more on advocacy than accredited laboratory services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• GitHubgithub.com/wincowgerDEV/OpenSpecy-package
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@wincowger3835/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/MoorePlasticRes
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/moore-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/mooreplasticresearch

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Moore Institute for Plastic Pollution Research