Advancing Circular Supply Chains: BOTTLE's Innovations for Sustainable Plastics Management

Kat Knauer, Ph.D., Program Manager – V Research

National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)

Supply chain sustainability is increasingly important for the future of business and the world as a whole. Globally, companies are looking at various initiatives when it comes to sustainability, including energy efficiency, product packaging, alternative fuels, optimized routes, and returns management. More recently, we have seen a push towards building a circular supply chain to eliminate waste and build a continual use of resources. 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 upcycling strategies for today's plastics and redesign plastics to be more inherently recyclable-by-design to achieve a circular plastics supply chain. BOTTLE is employing four major strategies to achieve this vision: 1) Conduct analysis driven research using techno-economic analysis and life-cycle analysis to identify optimum solutions; 2) Redefine circularity by implementing upcycling paradigms; 3) Breakdown the walls between mechanical, chemical, and biological processes and combine innovations to achieve the most efficient and economical pathways for waste management; and 4) Redesign plastics with built in recyclability. This webinar will provide a status update on BOTTLE’s flagship technologies and strategies for scale-up and deployment.