FSU and joint college alumna Kat Knauer in the lab at NREL (L) and doing some ocean plastic clean-up efforts in Hawaii as part of the Ocean Plastics Recovery Project (R). (Courtesy Knauer and Byran Bechtold, NREL)
Engineering alumna Kat Knauer is revolutionizing plastic recycling as Chief Technology Officer of the BOTTLE™ consortium, earning recognition as one of Chemical & Engineering News’ 2025 Talented Twelve for her groundbreaking work in chemical recycling and circular economy plastics
Leading the Charge in Chemical Recycling Innovation
When Kat Knauer graduated from Florida State University with her degree in chemical engineering in 2011, she was about to embark on a powerful mission to tackle one of the world’s most pressing issues: plastic waste. Bright-eyed and full of fresh ideas, Knauer saw that the future of polymer science had to include sustainability.
“Plastics have transformed our quality of life, but they’ve also created a great deal of waste and pollution in the environment,” Knauer says. “Now we have the potential to develop innovative processes to turn plastics into valuable resources and that’s exciting.”
Knauer earned her doctorate in Polymer Science and Engineering from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2015 where she began to focus on developing technologies enabling a circular economy for plastics, where waste is minimized and materials can be reused and repurposed effectively.
BOTTLE™ Consortium: Transforming Plastic Waste Into Resources
Knauer is the Chief Technology Officer of the Bio-Optimized Technologies to keep Thermoplastics out of Landfills and the Environment (BOTTLE™) consortium and a Senior Researcher at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The Consortium is a group of experts from multiple partner national laboratories and universities who focus on recycling tough-to-recycle plastics and developing future polymers that are more easily recyclable.
“Through my work in the BOTTLE™ consortium, I aim to redesign plastics for true circularity—materials that work harmoniously with Nature, not against it. My goal is to build the necessary science and systems that not only clean up our waste legacy but also enable a sustainable future for all,” she says.
Knauer’s passion for solving plastic waste stems from her love of the planet and a deep belief that we owe it our care and protection. “Sustainability, to me, is a nurturing, regenerative process—much like how we think about Mother Earth,” she emphasized.
Recognition for Real-World Impact
Knauer was recently recognized as one of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN )’s Talented Twelve, an acknowledgment of early-career scientists who leverage their chemistry expertise to make a significant real-world impact. Her work encompasses various initiatives, including the Oceans Plastics Recovery Project, which aims to clean our oceans and promote recycling solutions.
She maintains a relationship with the joint FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and has recently collaborated with Rufina Alamo, a distinguished Florida State University Chemical and Biomedical Engineering professor at the college on an article about polymer recycling that was recently published in Resources, Conservation and Recycling. Additionally, she coauthored a new research article recently published in the journal NATURE.
Finding Her Path at FSU
“When I was an undergraduate at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, I was searching for direction, trying to figure out what I was passionate about and what I excelled at,” Knauer reflected. “I chose chemical engineering, but I wasn’t at the top of my class, which led me to doubt myself. Everything changed when I joined Professor Chad Zeng’s group at the High-Performance Materials Institute (HPMI) during my junior year.”
Knauer explained, “The experience ignited my love for polymer chemistry and helped me realize my potential. It was during this time that I recognized the significant role polymers play in addressing plastic waste, setting me on a path to utilize science and data to make plastics more sustainable.”
At the University of Southern Mississippi, her research on high-performance thermoplastics resulted in several publications and awards, ultimately guiding her to positions at companies like BASF and Novoloop and her current role with the BOTTLE™ consortium at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Her best advice for students who want to pursue a career in polymer science is: “Follow your passion, stay curious and pursue your dreams. Whether it’s in engineering or another field, it’s your journey to navigate. Don’t let the world define you. It’s okay not to know your passion when you’re young and still figuring things out.”
Breakthrough Technologies for Sustainable Plastics
“At BOTTLE™ the innovative processes we are using to turn waste plastics into valuable resources is groundbreaking and with the support from institutions like MIT and Northwestern, we’re on the brink of revolutionizing the recycling industry,” she shared.
“One of our spinoff companies, Ester Cycle, is developing technologies to recycle complex mixtures of plastic waste, including bioplastics,” Knauer said. “This is a big deal. By using bio-based feedstocks and combining that with high recycling rates, we’re charting a path toward a net-zero emissions plastics supply chain.”
Knauer said the Consortium made a breakthrough in its mixed textiles recycling platform, which was developed using acetic acid. “We collaborated with Patagonia on this work and now it’s been launched as a startup called Tereform,” she says. “The textile industry is one of the most polluting in the world, with almost no recycling infrastructure, so this technology could have a major climate impact as well.”
Championing Equity in STEM
Knauer thinks a lot about the next generation of chemists and engineers, particularly women. As a leader, she hopes to model empathy and kindness, which aren’t typically associated with science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.
“As a feminist, I see climate action and environmental stewardship as part of a broader fight for equity for future generations, for marginalized communities and for the planet itself,” Knauer says, “We need passionate young people and early-career researchers to keep fighting for the planet, to push the boundaries of science and to build a healthier, more sustainable future for everyone.”
Editor’s Note: This article was edited with a custom prompt for Claude Sonnet 4, an AI assistant created by Anthropic. The AI optimized the article for SEO discoverability, improved clarity, structure and readability while preserving the original reporting and factual content. All information and viewpoints remain those of the author and publication. This article was edited and fact-checked by college staff before being published. This disclosure is part of our commitment to transparency in our editorial process. Last edited: 8/14/25.
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