Also called: Advanced Recycling Process Engineer
Designs plants that break old plastic back down into raw chemicals so it can be made into new plastic.
You test how mixed plastic waste behaves in a pilot reactor, find out why it clogs, and scale up the process. You work closely with chemists and environmental regulators.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in chemical engineering.
Ways in: 4-year college. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Chemical Engineering.
Growing about average (about 3% over 10 years). Chemical engineers overall; new field.
Low risk for 10 years. AI helps sort plastics and tune reactors; designing and running new recycling plants stays hands-on in a young field.
Classes: AP Chemistry, Environmental science, Physics, AP Calculus.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-2041.
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