In this work, we present a computational framework to examine the potential for deploying a national-scale upcycling infrastructure for post-consumer plastic waste in the continental US (see Figure ). The framework integrates techno-economic analysis, lifecycle assessment, and supply chain optimization in order to design an infrastructure that consists of a network of facilities (e.g., MRFs, PRFs, pyrolysis, and steam cracking) that are strategically sized and placed to capture postconsumer waste and obtain intermediate and final products to be delivered to consumers. The design aims to maximize total system profit (maximize value of derived products and minimize investment, processing, and transportation costs). We show that this infrastructure can be interpreted as a value chain (an economy) under which stakeholders exchange plastic waste and derived products to maximize profit. Our analysis reveals that the upcycling infrastructure can derive high value from the production of virgin polymers from post-consumer waste and can create an economy (market) of 19.7 billion USD per year. Our analysis also indicates that the upcycling infrastructure can achieve a degree of circularity of 34% (relative to the total rate of residential plastic waste production) and leads to significant environmental benefits over other waste disposal methods (decreases greenhouse gas emissions of incineration by 69-75% and avoids the deployment of 86 new landfills over the next 50 years). Via uncertainty/sensitivity analysis, we show that the economy created by the infrastructure remains viable under myriad externalities. Our analysis also evaluates the environmental benefits of the infrastructure over current US plastic disposal methods (landfilling and incineration systems).