Upcycling Polymers Seminar: Mixed Polyester Deconstruction to Enable a Circular Bioeconomy

• Kat Knauer, PhD., National Renewable Energy Laboratory & CTO of the BOTTLE™ Consortium
• Hosted by the Golden Gate Polymer Forum
• 6 pm, Online via Zoom, Free/$5 Donation, Registration required (Registration deadline: January 30 at 1pm)

The production, use, and disposal of plastics account for 3.8% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, nearly double the aviation sector, implying that plastics are a key energy and climate challenge. Studies have shown that a net-zero plastic supply chain can be achieved by combining biomass utilization with effective recycling. To address these challenges and decarbonize the plastic industry, we envision transitioning the plastic supply chain to a circular, biobased polyester model by enabling downstream recycling of biobased plastics. EsterCycle is a base-catalyzed methanolysis recycling platform designed to depolymerize both petroleum and biobased polyester plastics in one pot under mild conditions with high yields. These plastics include polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polylactic acid (PLA), polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT), and polybutylene succinate (PBS). This talk focuses on stages in the development of EsterCycle: deconstruction mechanisms, separations science, and economic and life cycle assessment (LCA). Also covered is the development of novel polyesters to challenge the polyolefins’ status quo. The proposed technology allows for sequestered, biogenic carbon to stay in circulation, reducing reliance on both fossil fuels and agricultural feedstocks. LCA models show a potential abatement of ~500 million tons of CO₂ emissions per year if 35% of the plastic supply chain were replaced with biobased polyesters at a 70% recycling rate via our proposed recycling technology.

Bio-Optimized Technologies to keep Thermoplastics out of Landfills and the Environment (BOTTLE™) is a U.S. Department of Energy multi-organization consortium focused on developing new chemical upcycling strategies for today’s plastics and redesigning tomorrow’s plastics to be recyclable-by-design. Techno-economic analysis, life cycle assessment, and supply chain modeling are critical tools to ultimately facilitate the development of economical and sustainable approaches for recycling and redesigning plastics.

About the speaker: Dr. Kat Knauer is a polymer scientist who has dedicated her scientific career to solving the plastic waste problem. She has a PhD in Polymer Science and Engineering from the University of Southern Mississippi. She completed the BASF Leadership Development Program (LDP) in 2018 and took a Senior Scientist role in BASF’s Plastics Division. Her research efforts focused on advanced recycling technologies which ultimately led her to leading the Materials Innovation R&D team at Novoloop (formerly BioCellection), a San Francisco Bay Area chemical recycling startup. At Novoloop she helped develop a technology that converted post-consumer polyethylene waste into valuable chemical building blocks to upcycle into new high-performing polymer applications. Currently Dr. Knauer is a senior researcher at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the BOTTLE™ Consortium where she is developing sustainable technologies to chemically upcycle today’s existing plastic waste streams and develop new plastics for the future that are recyclable by design.