Process Systems Engineering Approaches for Sustainable Plastics Management

Abstract

Engineering sustainable plastics management systems is a current challenge. Plastics are indispensable in different applications, but their economic, environmental, and social impacts pose sustainability concerns. Recent process systems engineering (PSE) approaches, including optimization, machine learning, and process design and analysis, have explored strategies for a circular plastics economy. In this work, we provide an overview of the problems of the current plastics systems and review PSE contributions to sustainable plastics management, focusing on new technologies and biobased plastics. We identify the most common methodologies and the research gaps in the proposed systems. We conclude that solvent-based technologies can be a sustainable option for plastics management due to their low costs and emissions while widely adopting biobased plastics remains an economic and environmental challenge. We also discuss the challenges and opportunities for future research, including the need for systems thinking and integration of methodologies, highlighting the potential role of PSE.