REU Site: Plastic Recycling and Advanced Chemical-physical Transformations for Improved Circular Economy (PRACTICE-REU)

Only 5% of the 44 million tons of plastic waste was recycled in the US in 2019, with 86% ending up in landfills. Opportunities abound in recovering useful plastic from waste however, great challenges remain. With a focus on plastic recycling, the REU Site: Plastic Recycling and Advanced Chemical-physical Transformations for Improved Circular Economy (PRACTICE-REU) at SUNY Buffalo will engage undergraduate researchers to tackle the global plastic pollution problem.

PRACTICE-REU participants will carry out research that advances plastic waste identification, facilitates plastic recycling and upcycling, and addresses environment and health impacts of plastic waste. The PRACTICE-REU program is structured to introduce undergraduate students to research and prepare them for fulfilling careers in science and engineering.

The research experience will be complemented by training workshops and professional networking opportunities. A community service project will provide concrete evidence of societal impact. The PRACTICE-REU program will make a concerted effort to recruit non-traditional research students, including students from universities with limited research opportunities.

In addition to the development of human resources, the PRACTICE-REU program pursues fundamental research that promotes the reduction and valorization of plastic waste. These are topics important to the United States and the globe. Inherent with the main theme of plastic waste reduction is the potential for societal benefits through improvements to the environment, health, and economy.

The REU Site: Plastic Recycling and Advanced Chemical-physical Transformations for Improved Circular Economy (PRACTICE-REU) at SUNY Buffalo will train undergraduate researchers to address global plastic pollution concerns within three themes: plastic waste identification, plastic recycling and upcycling, and environment and health impacts of plastic waste. Laboratory-focused projects will provide students with confidence, creativity, and independence.

Weekly group meetings of the REU cohort will foster student-student communication in conjunction with training workshops and professional or social networking opportunities. A concluding Research Symposium, as well as support for post-REU conference presentations and publications, will help students hone their communication skills. A portfolio of assessment activities will support the continuous improvement of the PRACTICE-REU site.

The PRACTICE-REU program is structured to both introduce students to research and prepare them for careers in science and engineering fields. PRACTICE-REU students will be paired with experienced researcher mentors to conduct transformative plastic recycling research. Research projects in the highly interdisciplinary PRACTICE-REU integrate engineering and science to solve plastic recycling issues such as the identification of various types of plastic to facilitate their sortation, recovery of specific types of plastic from a heterogeneous mixture, or quantification of human exposure and health risks of microplastics.

Students and faculty participants will disseminate research results through conference presentations and peer-reviewed publications, expanding opportunities for knowledge advancement.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.