Bioenergy Technologies Office

BETO Chief Scientist Discusses Single-Use Plastics Challenges on Waste 360 Podcast

The March 28, 2022 episode of Waste 360’s podcast NothingWasted! featured U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) Chief Scientist Dr. Jay Fitzgerald, who discussed the costs and environmental impacts of single-use plastics.

In Episode 147: How DOE Is Finding Energy & Value in Plastics, Dr. Fitzgerald highlighted the recent Single-Use Plastics Recycling (SUPR) Funding Opportunity Announcement, which awarded $13.4 million to seven projects for the development of new plastics that are more recyclable and biodegradable.

The episode also covered the Bio-Optimized Technologies to keep Thermoplastics out of Landfills and the Environment (BOTTLE) consortium—a partnership between the U.S. Department of Energy and more than 10 research institutions working together to develop new plastics recycling technologies and strategies.

The podcast episode is available to the public on the Waste 360 website.

BETO supports research, development, and demonstration to enable the sustainable use of domestic biomass and waste resources for the production of biofuels and bioproducts. BETO is part of DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.