The Plastic Recycling Process - Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR)
The Plastic Recycling Process - Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR)
Step 1: The Recycling Bin
Whether a container is placed in a curbside recycling bin, a public recycling bin at the airport or dropped off at a community recycling center, this is where it starts.
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Step 2: Haulers
Haulers collect post-consumer materials from the curbside recycling bins, and take it to a material recovery facility (MRF)
Step 3: Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs)
MRFs sort through all the recyclables and divide them into categories like aluminum, paper, and different types of plastic. The goal is to sort and bale each material so that it can be sold to the correct market.
TIPPING FLOOR
All the recyclables are tipped out of the trucks onto the floor in a giant pile, and then loaded onto a conveyor belt to start their journey. This is a mix of plastic, paper, metal, glass and more.
PRE-SORT
The materials on the conveyor belt then go through pre-sorting, where MRF workers pull out non-recyclable materials which could be anything from electrical cords to food to bowling balls.
Workers also remove a lot of plastic bags. Plastic bags should not be combined with other recyclables. They should be collected separately and returned to special drop-off locations, often located at grocery stores and other retail locations. Plastic bags get caught in machinery and need to be cut out with knives multiple times a day, leading to safety, productivity, and profitability challenges.
MATERIAL SORTING
Next comes a series of steps to sort materials first by size and shape, then material type.
Large cardboard is pulled off the conveyor first, and then the flat, 2D paper materials float over the screens while the 3D containers fall down through the screen.
Metals are sorted out based on their magnetic (steel) and conductive (aluminum) properties.
Glass is crushed and then sifted, so that anything smaller than two inches will fall through, while the rest of the material continues down the sort line.
Plastic is sorted into types (PET, HDPE and PP are the most common) using optical sorters.
In this example, the optical sorter is programmed to look for PET plastic. When the sensor sees a PET bottle, a puff of air is released and moves the bottle over the divider while the rest of the material falls down.
Though the optical sorters are relatively effective, in-person quality control is still needed to sort out contaminants.
Some MRFs have installed robotic arms to sort plastic or other materials, particularly in the quality control area.
BALING
After the plastic is sorted, it is baled into compressed - lb rectangular blocks and wrapped with wire. The bales are sold to recyclers (commonly referred to as reclaimers), who will process the material into recycled plastic.
MRF’s decisions around what they can economically accept and process are based on their revenues and costs, just like any other business. The revenue from the sale of bales needs to cover the costs of sorting and processing those materials. The value of recyclable materials fluctuates and depends on many external issues including the price of oil, material shortages, and other economic factors.
APR creates model bale specifications for plastic, to support both the MRFs selling bales and the recyclers buying them.
Step 4: Recyclers
CUTTING BALES
The bales are cut apart, and the material is pushed onto a conveyor belt.
MATERIAL SORTING
Although the recycler is starting with pre-sorted bales, it’s important to do another sort to remove any lingering contaminants—such as glass or small metals. The material will be sorted into 3 streams: the intended plastic (high value), missorted plastic containers (medium value), and waste (negative value.) The amount of sorting and pre-processing depends on the type of plastic being recycled and the intended end-use.
GRINDING
The material then goes into an industrial grinder, where it will be cut up into small pieces, called flake.
WASHING
The flake is then washed in hot water and detergent-solution to remove surface dirt and dissolve any adhesives used to attach labels.
FLOAT/SINK TANK
Next, the material goes into a large tank of water to separate different types of plastic. Some plastics float and some sink. For example, caps attached to a soda bottle travel with the bottle during the sorting phase but are separated during grinding. The caps, often made of HDPE plastic, float to the top of the float-sink tank while the bottle, made of PET, sinks to the bottom of the tank. This separates the different types of plastics so they can be processed and recycled.
RINSING & DRYING
The separated flake is rinsed again and air dried.
ELUTRIATION
Some plastic packaging incorporates thin layers of other materials to increase product shelf life. These thin layers can delaminate during the washing process. In order to remove and capture these, the flake is passed through an airstream.
DECONTAMINATION
If the material will be used for food-contact packaging, it will go through a decontamination process using vacuum and heat under low oxygen levels. This is required to receive a Letter of No Objection (LNO) from the U.S. Food & Drug Association for food packaging.
MELTING & FILTERING
The flake is then melted in an extruder, filtered to remove small solids, and processed with special equipment to turn it into pellets.
Step 5: Manufacturers
When companies choose post-consumer resin (PCR) for packaging, they are choosing to reduce virgin plastic production. This means less natural resource extraction and a significant decrease in energy use. According to APR’s life cycle analysis, when virgin plastic is replaced by recycled content, the energy saved can be as much as 70%.
When individuals, companies and governments choose to buy items made with recycled plastic vs. virgin plastic, it creates the pull-effect we need to keep our recycling system going. There must be demand for recycled products for all the companies along the supply chain to participate. Choosing products made with recycled plastic is critical.
And don’t forget, once you’re done with that plastic product– if it’s recyclable, and your program accepts it– throw it in the recycling bin when empty. And the process starts all over again…
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Pet Bottle Washing Line - Recycling Machines
PET bottle recycling line has now become a necessary production line for major plastic recycling plants. If you want to engage in the plastic recycling business, then you need to know more about this production line in detail. Next, we will give you a detailed introduction to the various aspects of the plastic bottle recycling line, so as to solve your questions about this plastic recycling line.
Introduction of Pet Bottle Recycling Line
PET bottle recycling line is a set of machinery and equipment used for the recycling of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottles. In fact, our pet bottle recycling line can recycle plastic bottles made of a variety of materials, except that pet is the most common.
PET is a commonly used material for packaging beverages, food, and other consumer products. PET bottle recycling lines are designed to collect, sort, clean, and process used PET bottles, transforming them into reusable plastic flakes.
Complete the Pet Bottle Recycling Process
The complete PET bottle recycling process includes de-labeling, shredding, high-temperature washing, secondary washing, drying, and storage. Each step is indispensable. Of course, we can also customize the exclusive plastic bottle recycling line according to the specific needs of customers.
Plastic Bottle Recycling Machine in Pet Bottle Recycling Line
Plastic Bottle Conveyor
This plastic bottle recycling machine is used to convey plastic bottles to the plastic de-labeling machine. There are several baffles on the machine, the baffles can prevent the plastic bottles from falling during the conveying process. The steel frame construction ensures the longevity of the machine.
Plastic Bottle De-Labeling Machine
Plastic Bottle De-Labeling Machine is designed to remove labels from pet/plastic bottles. Compared to manual label removal, plastic bottle de-labeling machine is characterized by high productivity and clean label removal. The machine can de-label bottles of different sizes.
Plastic Bottle Crusher Machine
As the name suggests, a plastic bottle crushing machine is used to crush plastic bottles. It crushes PET bottles into plastic flakes of uniform size. The plastic bottle crusher is one of the main machines in this PET bottle recycling line.
Plastic Bottle Flakes Washing Tank
The plastic bottle flake Washing tank has two purposes. The first purpose is to separate PET caps from PET flakes. The second purpose is to clean crushed plastic flakes. There are several moving flaps in the machine. It can push the plastic flakes forward.
Pet Flakes Hot Washing Machine
The Pet flakes hot washing machine washes away contaminants such as oils and beverage liquids from plastic bottle flakes. During the plastic flakes washing process, the operator needs to add detergent to the machine to increase the cleaning effort. As the machine starts, the paddles inside the machine rub against the plastic bottle pieces to clean them.
Plastic Flakes Friction Washing Machine
In order to achieve the purpose of thorough cleaning, we have added another plastic flakes friction washing machine to the PET bottle recycling line. When the plastic flakes enter the machine, the high-speed rotating screw will stir the PET flakes to clean them fully. Under the action of centrifugal force, the machine can clean the surface of plastic PET flakes from sand, soil, and other dirt. Finally, the material is rinsed with clean water.
Pet Flakes Dryer
Plastic Bottle Chip Dryer is the last important machine in the plastic bottle recycling line. The dehydration rate of this machine is up to 97%. The machine is mainly driven by the motor to rotate the spindle at high speed.
At the same time, this allows the plastic bottle chips inside the machine to rotate at high speed as well. The centrifugal force of the machine’s rotation dries the plastic flakes.
Plastic Bottle Chip Storage Boxes
The storage box is used to store dried plastic bottle chips. The machine is made of stainless steel and is characterized by its robustness and durability. There is a small outlet at the bottom of the machine for subsequent packaging.
Feature of Pet Bottle Washing Line
- Comprehensive cleaning process: The pet bottle washing line incorporates various cleaning stages, including de-labeling, crushing, and multiple washing steps, ensuring thorough and efficient cleaning of PET bottles and flakes.
- Customization options: Shuliy’s PET bottle recycling line can be tailored to meet specific production requirements, allowing for flexibility in processing different sizes and types of PET bottles.
- High productivity: The output of this pet bottle washing recycling line ranges from 500-kg/h. This allows for the processing of large quantities of PET bottles in a relatively short period of time.
- Advanced washing technology: The use of advanced washing machinery and techniques, such as hot washing and friction washing, ensures the effective removal of impurities and contaminants from PET flakes.
Raw Material that Can Be Used in the Pet Bottle Recycling Line
This production line can process all kinds of plastic bottles such as carbonated beverage bottles, mineral water bottles, soft drink bottles, edible oil bottles, detergent bottles, shampoo bottles, lotion bottles, condiment plastic bottles, sauce bottles, cola bottles, juice bottles and so on. If you are not sure whether your raw materials can be processed by our plastic bottle recycling line, please feel free to contact us.
Pet Bottle Recycling Line Price
The price of a PET bottle recycling line can vary depending on several factors, including the specific components and features of the recycling line, the production capacity, the brand, the quality of materials used in construction, and the technological sophistication of the machinery. Generally, a complete PET bottle recycling line can range in price from several thousand to several hundred thousand dollars or more.
It’s important to consider that the price may also include additional costs such as installation, training, and after-sales support. Additionally, customization options or specific add-ons to the machinery may also affect the overall cost.
To get an accurate and up-to-date price for a PET bottle recycling line, it’s recommended to directly contact Shuliy Recycling Machinery- a plastic bottle recycling line manufacturer. You can provide us with your specific requirements and production needs, and request a detailed quotation.
Which Plastic Bottles Are Recyclable?
Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET or PETE) – Used for water bottles, soft drink bottles, cooking oil bottles, and some food packaging.
High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) – Used for milk jugs, detergent bottles, oil bottles, toys, and some plastic bags.
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) – Used for pipes, window frames, some bottles, and non-food packaging.
Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) – Used for squeezable bottles, shopping bags, and some food packaging.
Polypropylene (PP) – Used for some ketchup bottles, yogurt containers, and medicine bottles.
What Can Recycled Plastic Bottles Be Used For?
Plastic bottles recycled through plastic bottle recycling lines can usually be made into the following products:
New plastic bottles: Recycled plastic can be used to manufacture new bottles for beverages, household products, and personal care items.
Clothing and textiles: Some recycled plastics, particularly PET, can be processed into fibers and used to make clothing, jackets, and textiles.
Packaging materials: Recycled plastics can be used to create packaging materials for various consumer products, reducing the need for new plastic in the packaging industry.
Construction materials: Some recycled plastics can be used in the construction industry to produce materials such as plastic lumber, paving materials, and insulation products.
Automotive parts: Recycled plastics can be utilized in the manufacturing of various automotive components, including dashboards, bumpers, and interior parts.
Furniture: Recycled plastics can be used to produce furniture such as chairs, tables, and outdoor benches.