Circular Economy

Electricity, Air, and Plastic Recycling

Daniel Morton — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 21:15:48 +0000

Electricity, Air, and Plastic Recycling Daniel Morton Tue, 06/17/2025 - 15:15

Daniel Morton

This collaboration between four RASEI Fellows shows how electricity can be used to impart ‘superoxide powers’ to oxygen gas molecules from air, enabling the efficient recycling of PET plastics.

In 2012, 32.5 million tons of plastic waste was produced globally. 4.5 million tons of which was poly(ethylene terephthalate), better known as PET. You likely know this as the plastic that has the number 1 in the middle of the recycling symbol. PET is used extensively in materials such as packaging, textiles, films, and flexible electronics. By far and away its main use is in bottled drinks. PET is considered a standout material, it is strong, chemically resistant, transparent, and impermeable to water. Even better, it is possible to recycle PET – it has its own number, right? Unfortunately, this is not quite the full story. Globally, it is estimated that only about 9% of plastic waste is recycled, and while PET waste is one of the best performers, with a recycling rate approaching between 25-30%, the majority of plastic, even PET, ultimately ends up in landfills, incinerated, or worse, polluting our environment. The magnitude of this problem is only increasing; in 2024 the world generated an estimated 240 million tons of plastic waste, representing more than eight-fold increase in 12 years and highlighting the need for more effective solutions.

This teams bring together four RASEI Fellows, Oana Luca (Chemistry, �鶹ԭ��), Seth Marder (Chemistry and Chemical & Biological Engineering, �鶹ԭ��), Stephen Barlow (RASEI, �鶹ԭ��) and Elisa Miller (Chemistry and Nanoscience, NREL) to address the accelerating issue of plastic waste. While there are many parts to this global challenge, this research focuses on how we recycle plastics, specifically PET. When we think about recycling plastic, most of us just think about throwing a plastic bottle, or piece of packaging, into a recycling bin. We rarely give it much thought after that. This really is just the start of a journey that is more complex than many realize. There are actually several different approaches to giving plastic a second life. The most common, and perhaps the method that most people are familiar with, is mechanical recycling.

Think of mechanical recycling like an industrial washing machine combined with a paper shredder. Plastic items are collected, sorted, cleaned, and then chopped up into small flakes or melted down into pellets that can be molded into new products. This approach is efficient and works great for clean, single-type plastics, but there are some significant limitations with this process. In the same way that a white shirt can’t be perfectly restored after being mixed with brightly colored laundry, plastic quality degrades each time it goes through mechanical recycling. This reduction in quality is stark, most mechanically recycled plastics can only go through the process 2-3 times before they become unusable. This makes it financially unattractive and severely limits the long-term efficacy of recycling. How can this be an enduring solution if we can only recycle something a couple of times?

Chemical recycling takes a very different route, instead of the ‘brute-force’ approach of just melting and reshaping the plastic, it employs a more surgical method, breaking down the plastic polymer chains into their constituent molecular building blocks. These molecular building blocks can then be used, either to make new plastics, or for other applications. Because the new plastics are made with molecular control, there is no degradation in quality, and the materials can be recycled over and over, essentially as many times as you wish. Instead of a washing machine combined with a paper shredder, this is more like a LEGO set, where the model can be taken apart brick by brick and be used to build something entirely new. This research describes a new approach to depolymerization, a class of chemical recycling.

The research described in this RASEI collaboration, just published in ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering, offers a new, more efficient approach. By passing an electric charge through the reaction, electrons can be used to activate molecules that can then go on to react with the polymer. In a recent study, that used additive molecules as electron shuttles, the team observed the addition of electrons to oxygen gas molecules in small amounts present in the reaction, that were originally thought to be innocent bystanders in the mixture. This led the team to hypothesize that oxygen gas molecules, directly from air, could be chemically reduced, (that is that they take on an extra electron), leading to the formation of a relatively stable superoxide radical anion, O₂^·–. This activated superoxide now acts in place of the solvent and reacts directly with the polymer. Since the superoxide has an extra electron gained from the electric current, the negatively charged superoxide molecule reacts with the centers that have a positive charge on the polymer. This results in the breaking down of the polymer in a predictable and selective fashion, and the incorporation of oxygen into the building blocks instead of the solvent molecules, leading to the reliable and reproducible formation of the same molecules that were used to build the polymer in the first place. The LEGO bricks are formed cleanly and are ready to be used again, with no degradation in molecular quality. This work demonstrates this technology on a range of different plastics using air, arguably one of the most abundant and cheap reagents, as the primary oxygen source, and all done at room temperature and pressure, a huge improvement on other chemical recycling approaches. While the results are promising and show good efficiencies, this lab-based proof of principle still has a number of challenges to solve before it can be scaled up to meaningful levels.

Today, most plastics are recycled using mechanical recycling, which is like the combination of an industrial washing machine and a paper shredder, producing low-quality products and reducing the possibility of future recycling, leading many to explore chemical recycling as an alternative to gain access to more valuable chemical building blocks. Current mainstream chemical recycling methods are like using a sledgehammer, they typically require high temperatures and lots of energy to break the chemical bonds. The development of electrochemical methods offers a more controlled approach, breaking down plastics at the molecular level and reliably producing build blocks that can be used over and over again. New recycling technologies could transform how we handle plastic waste, opening the door to recycling previously un-recyclable plastics, doing it in a more energy efficient way, producing higher quality recycled plastics, and making recycling economically competitive with virgin plastic production from oil. The development of more effective and general recycling strategies isn’t just an environmental imperative. As plastic waste continues to accumulate, it is rapidly becoming an economic necessity. We already have so much plastic in the world, if we can develop methods to regenerate and reuse the building blocks from plastic waste it will turn landfills into gold mines.

How amazing would it be if instead of society wasting plastics, filling landfills, and polluting our environments, we viewed used plastics as a commodity for future applications?

June 2025

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RASEI Fellow Kat Knauer selected as member of the 2025 C&EN’s Talented 12

Daniel Morton — Fri, 23 May 2025 18:27:40 +0000

RASEI Fellow Kat Knauer selected as member of the 2025 C&EN’s Talented 12 Daniel Morton Fri, 05/23/2025 - 12:27

Daniel Morton

Kat has been highlighted for her work developing sustainable and recyclable plastics.

2025 Talented 12 Press Release

2025 Talented 12 Overview

Kat Knauer Profile

For the last decade Chemical and Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly industrial press for the chemistry and chemical engineering fields published by the American Chemical Society (ACS), has selected a dozen early-career scientists to highlight. Each year the Talented 12 introduces researchers from across disciplines who are using their chemistry know-how to make societal impacts.

This year more than 350 young chemists and chemical engineers were nominated, which was whittled down to 12 by the panel reviewing the different impacts of the research. Research done by members of the class include materials that could help hearts heal, measuring aerosol particles to understand climate change, controlling charged particles to improve energy efficiency, using biology to solve environmental problems, explaining chemical movement with math, understanding pollutants, preventing drug side effects, providing insights into disease, improving food security, transforming waste water into valuable minerals and harnessing electrons to clean chemicals.

RASEI Fellow Kat Knauer was highlighted for her research on developing sustainable and recyclable plastics, driven by her passion for solving the plastic waste crisis. Check out the full story about the Talented 12 and the profile on Kat Knauer for all the details.

May 2025

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Polymer Solutions for the Environment Fall 2024 Workshop

Anonymous — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 15:52:40 +0000

Polymer Solutions for the Environment Fall 2024 Workshop Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 09/09/2024 - 09:52

Polymer Solutions for the Environment Fall 2024 Workshop

Monday October 7, 2024 | 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM

�鶹ԭ��, East Campus, SEEC Building C120

Join us at this kick-off workshop for the Polymer Solutions for the Environment initiative. This will be held at �鶹ԭ��, on the East Campus in the SEEC Building, Room C120 on Monday October 7, 2024. This one-day workshop brings together key collaborators and stakeholders from across the region, with a focus on discussing and developing a roadmap for POSE. Talks will have a spotlight on how POSE can join and amplify the existing regional community of researchers in tackling Colorado's most pressing sustainability challenges and exploring the role of polymer science in addressing these issues. We plan to define the goals, milestones, and target research areas for POSE.

10/07/2024

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Sustainability pathways for perovskite photovoltaics

Anonymous — Tue, 23 Jul 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Sustainability pathways for perovskite photovoltaics Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 07/23/2024 - 00:00

NATURE MATERIALS, 2024

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RASEI Fellow Kat Knauer Featured in The Washington Post Article Exploring Compostable Plastics

Anonymous — Sat, 20 Jul 2024 06:00:00 +0000

RASEI Fellow Kat Knauer Featured in The Washington Post Article Exploring Compostable Plastics Anonymous (not verified) Sat, 07/20/2024 - 00:00

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New Frontiers Grant Program Successes for RASEI Fellows

Anonymous — Wed, 08 May 2024 20:48:10 +0000

New Frontiers Grant Program Successes for RASEI Fellows Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 05/08/2024 - 14:48

Daniel Morton

The �鶹ԭ�� New Frontiers Grant Program was launched in 2024. The program is designed to foster visionary groundbreaking, interdisciplinary research projects that have potential for high impact. This could include significant advances in knowledge, problem-solving or innovation that can build to new paradigms of understanding.

New Frontiers Grant Program

2024 Award Announcement

A central column of this program is to stimulate the development of new strengths at �鶹ԭ��, driven by researchers thinking across disciplines and developing methods to work together to tackle complex and impactful research challenges.

Twenty-six teams submitted collaborative proposals were submitted to this program earlier this year and four projects were selected as winners of planning grants, two of which involved RASEI Fellows.

New Frontiers in Bio-Integrated Organic Computing & Low-Energy Innovative Carbon-based Manufacturing, or BIO-CLIC, led by RASEI Fellow Jeff Cameron and engaging a team across four �鶹ԭ�� departments and collaborators from NREL, will explore challenges in computational efficiency by investigating unconventional computing approaches that employ renewable sources and carbon fixation processes.

Polymers for a Sustainable Earth, or POSE, led by Wei Zhang from the Department of Chemistry and involving RASEI Fellows Dan Kaffine, Kat Knauer, Oana Luca, Seth Marder, Srinivas Parinandi, Mike Toney, and Terri Walters, brings together collaborators from six �鶹ԭ�� departments and NREL. POSE will foster a community to facilitate extramural research and funding at a scale to effectively address the issue of plastic pollution and new, sustainable methods to synthesize, reuse, and recycle polymers.

The four teams were chosen following 14 in-person pitches, where the teams outlined how their proposed work addresses important societal problems through adopting collaborative interdisciplinary approaches. The four teams will now use the next year to advance their proposals, build out the team and conduct initial investigations on how to take things forward. The teams will then compete for the single Launch Phase Grant of $200k, which will be awarded in June 2025.

Congratulations to the teams! We look forward to seeing your progress over the next year!

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Sustainability research at a national laboratory

Anonymous — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 07:00:00 +0000

Sustainability research at a national laboratory Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 03/08/2024 - 00:00

NATURE CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, 2024, 1, 198-200

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Profile: Kat Knauer

Anonymous — Thu, 07 Mar 2024 07:00:00 +0000

Profile: Kat Knauer Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 03/07/2024 - 00:00

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The North Face Taps the BOTTLE Consortium To Scale Biodegradable Polyester Alternative

Anonymous — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 07:00:00 +0000

The North Face Taps the BOTTLE Consortium To Scale Biodegradable Polyester Alternative Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 02/29/2024 - 00:00

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2023 Nozik Lecture | Prof. Jenna Jambeck

Anonymous — Tue, 12 Dec 2023 07:00:00 +0000

2023 Nozik Lecture | Prof. Jenna Jambeck Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 12/12/2023 - 00:00

Watch the Lecture here

Download the Flyer

Events Page

The Jambeck Research Group

2022 MacArthur Fellow Announcement

Named a 2022 MacArthur Fellow for her work investigating the scale of plastic pollution and galvanizing efforts to address plastic waste, Prof. Jenna Jambeck is the Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor of Environmental Engineering in the University of Georgia College of Engineering. Jambeck is internationally recognized for her research on plastic waste in the ocean and for the Marine Debris Tracker app she co-created with fellow faculty member Kyle Johnsen. She notes that being active in research helps bring current environmental engineering issues into the classroom for students.

Jenna presented the 2023 Nozik Lecture on Tuesday December 12, 2023 at 4:00 PM, which was followed by a poster reception. We had a fantastic turnout, with more than 120 interested folks attending the presentation and sticking around to discuss research in the poster session.

Stories from Sea to Source: Reducing Plastic Pollution

Plastic debris and its impacts in the environment have been widely documented, but the quantity entering the ocean from land was previously unknown. By linking worldwide data on solid waste, population density, and economic status, Dr. Jambeck made the first estimate of plastics entering our ocean globally. Cumulative global plastic production reached 8 billion metric tons in 2017. 6.4 billion metric tons has become waste that has overwhelmed some waste management systems around the world that have not been able to keep up infrastructure with economic growth. In addition, the global trade of plastic waste intended for recycling has influenced what countries can do with plastic as a recycled material with economic impacts worldwide. Shifting to where the burden of plastics is carried, the community level, Dr. Jambeck and her team created the Circularity Assessment Protocol (CAP). CAP is a rigorous, cost-effective toolkit for assessing materials management systems at the community level which has been used in 51 cities in 14 countries. Dr. Jambeck will not only discuss the methods and results of her research, but also impacts and related policies around the world. She will present an intervention framework to reduce plastic ending up in our environment while sharing stories of integrating technology and citizen science, science communication, and community-level efforts to address plastic pollution around the globe.

Biography

Dr. Jenna Jambeck is a Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor in Environmental Engineering at the University of Georgia, a 2022 MacArthur Fellow, Founder of the Circularity Informatics Lab in the New Materials Institute and a National Geographic Explorer. She has been conducting research on solid waste issues for over 25 years and marine debris/plastic pollution for 22 years. Her work has been recognized by the global community and translated into policy discussions by the High-Level Panel for the Ocean, testimony to Congress, in G7 and G20 Declarations, and the United Nations Environment program. She has conducted public environmental diplomacy as an International Informational Speaker for the US Department of State since 2017. This has included multiple global programs of speaking events, meetings, presentations to governmental bodies, and media outreach around the world including Chile, Philippines, Indonesia, Japan, South Africa, Vietnam, Jordan, Israel, South Korea, India, Taiwan and China. She has won awards for her teaching and research in the College of Engineering and the UGA Creative Research Medal, as well as a Public Service and Outreach Fellowship. In 2014 she sailed across the Atlantic Ocean with 13 other women in eXXpedition to sample land and open ocean plastic and encourage women to enter STEM disciplines. In 2019 she co-led the first ever women-led expedition team for National Geographic conducting comprehensive research on plastic pollution in the Ganga River Basin. She and her research team lead the science component of the Mississippi River Plastic Pollution Initiative along with the Mayors along the Mississippi and UNEP North America. She is co-developer of the mobile app Marine Debris Tracker, a tool that continues to facilitate a growing global citizen science initiative. The app and citizen science program has documented the location of nearly eight million litter and marine debris items documented in our environment throughout the world. Follow her work on Instagram @JennaJambeck

Stories from Sea to Source: Reducing Plastic Pollution

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