SEATTLE (Recycling Monster): The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) under the U.S. Department of Commerce announced funding in support of plastics recycling projects. The funding support of $500,000 each has been awarded to five universities towards developing new curricula to help students solve the rising plastic waste crisis.

The funding, intended to be spent over a period of three years, is part of the Training for Improving Plastics Circularity (TIPC) Grant Program, which aims to advance efforts to drive a circular economy for plastics. It promotes innovative approaches to optimize plastics usage in industrial supply chain, including latest manufacturing techniques.

The universities to receive the grant are Arizona State University, Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas, The University of Massachusetts at Lowell, The University of Missouri in Kansas City and The University of Southern California.

Kathryn Beers, leader of NIST’s Circular Economy Program aims to create a skilled workforce who think holistically about plastics and create new business opportunities. All the five universities selected for the grant create innovative programs based on this concept, although their approaches are different, Beers added.