Plastics Circular Economy

Program Overview

The circular plastics economy requires skilled workforce who understand details of plastics components, production and processing, classifications, and how to identify and quantify waste plastic compositions. This course will briefly introduce a systems level approach to plastic circularity, including interconnected systems of supply chain and resource flows, government, policy, regulatory frameworks, marketplace, infrastructure, and user practices. It will also discuss the major plastic types and their properties, how they are produced and handled, the major industry producers and their geographical locations, and plastic formulations and roles of additives.

The majority of this course will focus on characterization techniques required for identification of plastic compositions, additives, contaminants, such as infrared, near-infrared, ultra-violent, Raman, laser-induced breakdown, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopies; hyperspectral imaging; mass spectrometry; and density, and evolving standards for waste identification. The role of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in plastic sortation will also be discussed through case studies. We will also include collection (and tracking), identification, and characterization of marine plastics and microplastics. This course will include hands-on demonstrations of characterization techniques, such as chemical spectroscopy and hyperspectral imaging.

Credentialing Overview

Instruction for each badge consists of 15-hour hybrid learning sessions with lectures, group discussions, and in-person interactive opportunities, each over a 6-week period.
Micro-credential badges are awarded for every course, five in total, for the Workforce Training Program in Plastics Circularity. Badges are stackable.
A silver belt is awarded for the three-badge bundle; a gold belt is awarded for the four-badge bundle, and a platinum belt is for the completion of all five badges as an additional acknowledgement from UH Energy.

Schedule

Instruction for each badge consists of two 1 to 1.5-hour online sessions per week, over 6 weeks. Each badge has three assessments and in-person interactive opportunities. Online sessions are typically delivered two times per week, both starting at 6:00 pm, US Central Time.

• Badge 1: Introduction to Plastics Circular Economy
             Cohort 1: August – October, 2025
             Cohort 2: January – March, 2026
• Badge 2: Polymer Taxonomy and Recovered Material Identification
             October – December, 2025
• Badge 3: Measurements and Characterization Tools for Circular Plastics
              January – March, 2026
• Badge 4: New Frontier of Polymer Recycling and Reuse
              March – May, 2026
• Badge 5: Valuation, Life Cycle Analysis, and Technoeconomic Analysis
             June – August, 2026

Pricing

Individual Badges (1, 2, 3, 4, or 5): $1,500.00 per badge
Packages (3-Badge, 4-Badge, or 5-Badge Bundle):

• 3-Badge Bundle: $3,600.00 (Silver Belt; Badge 1: $1,200.00; Each additional badge is $1,200.00)
• 4-Badge Bundle: $4,400.00 (Gold Belt; Badge 1: $1,100.00; Each additional badge is $1,100.00)
• 5-Badge Bundle: $5,000.00 (Platinum Belt).

* Groups of 5 applicants from a single company will have discounted price. Please email us at uhenergy@uh.edu for more information.

Prerequisites

This course is appropriate for:

• Scientists/engineers/technicians from the chemical, materials, and waste management industries who wish to increase their knowledge of the plastics circular economy
• Have a B.S. degree in science/engineering/technology (or higher).