A team from Boise State University was selected as winner of the 2024 Circular Plastics Challenge with its forward-thinking solution regarding the circular economy, presented during the virtual showcase of the Circular Plastics Challenge at NPE2024.
Participants were tasked with designing solutions to increase the supply of rPET, or recycled polyethylene terephthalate. The winning team proposed an innovative redesign of bottles called Strong Bottle to prevent flattening during the recycling process, which in turn could result in a 15% increase in PET collected during the recycling process. The solution addresses the problem that many lightweight PET bottles are landfilled because they are easily flattened and mistaken for paper during the recycling process in material recovery facilities.
The team includes Terra Miller-Cassman, a materials scientist with a background in environmental science and consulting. In 2019, she pivoted her career to advance technologies and solutions to address plastic waste. She currently develops new recycling processes and sustainable materials as a Ph.D. candidate in materials science and engineering. Taylor Fackrell and Aaron Smith, Ph.D., supported the Strong Bottle project through their engineering and design expertise. Fackrell is a systems assembly technician completing a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, and Smith is a professor in mechanical engineering with a background in product development.
