Plastic waste is piling up, and while recycling bins are everywhere, only a small chunk of that plastic gets reused. But engineers might be onto something big. A new review in Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research says that a field called process systems engineering (PSE) could be the secret weapon needed to turn our plastic mess into something more manageable.

PSE uses smart tech like optimization software, computer modeling and machine learning to determine the best ways to sort, recycle and transport plastic waste — making the job smarter, faster and cleaner.

The review shares some up-and-coming methods, like solvent-based recycling and chemical recycling that could tackle the hard-to-recycle items that are typically thrown in the trash.

These methods might even beat traditional recycling when it comes to cutting emissions and saving more of the original material.

These new systems, however, still face major roadblocks: high costs, limited infrastructure, and questions about how to scale them up without causing new problems.

Even bioplastics, which are made from plants and seem like a greener choice, have downsides — like needing a lot of land and water to produce.

There’s no silver bullet yet, but using systems engineering to look at the whole picture — from environmental impact to social fairness — could help us build smarter plastic solutions.

It’s all part of an idyllic circular economy where plastics don’t end up in landfills, oceans or your lunch.

More like this: The bugs that eat plastics