The grant will produce educational content focused on measurements related to sorting and separating post-use plastic, demonstrating why IT is critical to the efficiency and economic value of…

The Pennsylvania State University received a $500,000 project grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) under the Science, Technology, Business and/or Education Outreach program (CFDA 11.620). The grant will fund the development of educational content focused on measurements related to sorting and separating post-use plastic. The goal is to demonstrate the critical role of these measurements in improving the efficiency and economic value of recycling within the circular economy.

The project will produce curriculum content for three university-level courses, including one required course and two electives, across two engineering departments at Penn State. The content will also be adapted for less specialized institutions through a partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Superior, and further developed into a short course to be taught remotely at six state Departments of Environmental Protection locations. The expected outcome is a suite of educational materials that can reach a broad range of students and professionals to enhance knowledge and performance in the plastics recycling industry. The project period runs from March 1, 2024 through February 28, 2027.

Activities

The team of educators will develop content for three courses at their university (one required course and two electives) across two engineering departments, while adapting that content to be more suitable for less specifically equipped institutions through a partnership with a primarily undergraduate institution, and further adapting content to a deployable short course to be taught in collaboration with and remotely at six state department of environmental protection locations.

Expected outcomes

The expected outcomes are a suite of curriculum content focused specifically on the core role of measurement in plastics sortation and recycling across a broad swath of training environments. Based on stakeholder engagement, the team has identified this measurement challenge (of sortation can classification of plastics post-use) as a core barrier to efficient and economically competitive reuse of post-use plastics. By imparting deeper knowledge across this sector, they seek to improve performance and innovation at this stage of the life plastics lifecycle, and dramatically improve the circularity of plastics in their region.

Intended beneficiaries

The team has identified students across the state, and across multiple stages of education and current employment as the intended beneficiaries, as well as businesses across the state whose employees would benefit from deeper understanding of these measurements and their relationship to the expanding industry.

Subrecipient activities

The recipient plans to subaward funds to a partner at another primarily undergraduate institution (university of wisconsin, superior) to increase course content, and test transfer and translation of this work to other institutions.