BOISE, Idaho — Boise State University students competed against other teams from around the world this week in a competition to see who could design the most environmentally-friendly water bottle.
Wednesday, five finalist teams virtually presented their plastic water bottle designs to a panel of judges at NPE2024. The NPE is the largest plastics trade show in the United States that is held by the Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS).
BSU graduate students took first place in the 2024 Circular Plastics Challenge at the NPE conference.
The task of the competition was to redesign recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) bottles to prevent accidental disposal of the plastics. PET bottles can be mistaken for paper during the recycling process. The redesign of PET bottles can help increase how often it is recycled by 15%, instead of making it a single use bottle.
Graduate students Terra Miller-Cassaman, Aaron Smith and Taylor Fackrell created "Strong Bottle", a water bottle designed to reduce PET waste. Strong Bottle prevents flattening during the recycling process, according to the team. They received a $10,000 prize for winning the competition.
According to their bios on the competition's website, Miller-Cassaman is a materials scientist with a background in environmental science and consulting. She is also developing new recycling processes and sustainable materials as a Ph.D. candidate. Smith is professor at BSU who teaches Mechanical and Biomedical engineering. Taylor is a systems assembly technician completing a bachelor degree in Mechanical Engineering.
All three of the students have founded their own separate businesses regarding recycled plastic products as they all share a passion for innovation and the environment.
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