Taofeng Lu has dedicated his academic journey to advanced plastics recycling techniques, spanning from his PhD studies in Plastics Engineering of UMass Lowell to postdoctoral research. His work includes dissolution-based recycling, polymer conversion to fuels, chemical upcycling of plastics, and sustainable material design. In early of 2024, he joined NREL, where he focuses on achieving closed-loop plastic recycling through both material and monomer recycling, as well as developing recyclable materials from renewable sources to lessen reliance on petroleum in plastics manufacturing.