First Ward Business Highlight: OceanTech; Computer Recycling Minneapolis

One of the First Ward’s many innovative businesses is OceanTech, which relocated from St. Louis Park to 1313 Winter Street NE in the Mid-City Industrial neighborhood in 2010. OceanTech specializes in electronics recycling, as well as asset management services and secure data destruction. Specifically, they purchase a range of electronics, from computers and laptops to televisions and telephones, then refurbish or recycle them, ensuring they don’t become part of the growing electronics waste stream.

OceanTech has ISO 14001 certification for environmental management and a “no landfill policy” that extends to its vendors. OceanTech takes a proactive approach to community engagement. Last April they sponsored a unique art show at Tarnish & Gold Gallery: “This Old Mouse”. Artists were given access to OceanTech’s recycling warehouse to create artworks out of a variety of recycled materials. These pieces, which demonstrated the power and creativity of re-use, were then displayed for two weeks at the Tarnish & Gold Gallery. They offer fundraising opportunities for organizations and non-profits through their laptop collection program and an annual Educators E-cycling Initiative to collect and recycle e-waste from schools. For further information, go to https://oceantech.com.