Plastic Recycling

Equipment Information Center 

Welcome to best place on  the World Wide Web for anyone who needs information on equipment to "recycle" plastic. 

  • If you are looking at recycling for the first time.... we can help you through it every step of the way.
  • Maybe you are very experienced in your field and you just haven't yet found the right machine, or process for your application. We can help you, quickly!    (Call us (860) 872-4660 right now or click here)

Plastic Recycling means different things to different people. (see definition below)

 

A basic working definition of "recycling" entails taking plastic "as it is" and improving it in some way so that it can be reused, generating a substantial return on the investment required to recycle it.

In order to design a system for any recycling project you need to answer 

these 3 Questions:

  • What is your desired End Use or End Product? (Are you selling this end product or using it in a saleable product of your own; do you want a pellet or a flake?) 
  • How much material do you want to recycle ? ( How many pounds/kilos do you want to handle in a day, a week, a year)

After you have answered these questions we can help you with everything else. click here to download our Application Questionnaire   PDF Format

At Action International we have more than 65 years of experience with plastics and the last 14years have been focused on plastics recycling. (for more information about Action International Click Here)

Post Industrial 

Post Industrial scrap material is defined as: material identified as scrap generally in the production process before it has gone out of the factory for its intended end use; examples would be "out of specification goods" or simply unavoidable scrap such as edge trims. 

In recycling post industrial materials the primary need is to get the industrial scrap back in to a form that can be reused in the production process.  Of course how that can be done is dependant upon the type of scrap and the requirements of your production process.

For many years we have been helping companies reuse their post industrial scrap resulting in added profit to their business.  

If you would like to discuss your application please call (860) 872-4660

Or  click here to download our Application Questionnaire  it is in PDF format

A list of some the equipment that we work with is available here   

Post Consumer

Post Consumer scrap material is defined as: material that has been used for its original intended use; examples would include used bottles from curbside pickup and used carpeting.

In recycling post consumer materials the primary need is cleaning and separation of the desired materials from undesirable materials.  Of course how that can be done is dependant upon the type of scrap and your desired end product.

If you would like to discuss your application please call (860) 872-4660

Or  click here to download our Application Questionnaire  it is in PDF format

A list of some of the equipment that we work with is available here   

 

Size Reduction

 Shredding : Single shaft

Granulation :Wet or Dry

Shredding: Multi Shaft
Material Separation Manual

Optical

Specific Gravity (For more info click here)

Magnetic

Electrostatic (For more info click )

Aspiration
Material Cleaning Wash systems: Bottle chip

Wash Systems: Film and Fiber

Repelletizing

 Recycling Extruder

   

 Types of Systems We Can Provide

 

 

 

 

 

 

These examples are only!  In each case facilities of higher or lower capital costs are possible depending upon you specific needs

Small Scale Post Consumer Bottle Recycling Facility:

A.    Summary:

An 8 million pound/yr cleaning facility of bottle chip can be installed in an existing location for $ 600,000 to $ 700,000 capital costs.  It would be expected to require 6 persons per shift on a 24/7 basis.  A product stream of natural and colors is produced. 

     B.    Assumptions:

1.      Bales of bottles (either HDPE or PET) are furnished as feedstock.

2.      Bales to be manually sorted (from sort table) into a natural and colored feed stream with other material being disposed of.

3.      That the wash/dry cycle will remove labels, fines and paper but no further sorting will be done. 

   C.    Details:

1.      Bales of either HDPE - mixed colors, or PET - mixed colors (not both) is placed in a bale breaker, to a specially designed sort table then conveyed to the size reduction unit of the wash line.

2.      This tumble washing and drying line would clean with warm water/detergent as required.  Sludge is removed as a contaminate and wash water is recycled.  The final product is a 3/8” clean plastic flake.

 

Large Scale Bottle Recycling Facility:

              A.    Summary:

A 27 million pound/yr cleaning facility of bottle chip, starting from mixed  bales with sorting well automated, can be installed in an existing location for a capital cost of $ 2.6 to $ 3.0 million.  It would be expected to require 2/3 persons per shift on a 24/7 basis.  Products would be HDPE – natural; HDPE – colored; PET – clear; PET – green, and a waste stream.

              B.    Assumptions:

1.      Bales are delivered of mixed bottles.

2.      Bales will be screened of rough contaminates prior to size reduction.

3.      Metal and non-plastic contaminate to be automatically removed prior to wash.

4.      Material centrifugally washed and thoroughly dried.

5.      Material to be automatically sorted into HDPE – natural; HDPE – colors; PET – clear; PET – green; PVC and waste.

                   C.    Details:

Bales of mixed bottles would be entered into a bale breaker and delivered to size reduction equipment.  While being conveyed to the centrifugal wash system, metal and contaminates are automatically removed.  The wash system will separate HDPE from PET/PVC chips and transmit each to a separate stream for drying.  From there the streams would go to automatic sorters dividing the HDPE into natural and colors.  The PET would sort into clear, green. The PVC would be added to the waste stream.

 

Post Industrial/Consumer Carpet Fiber Recycling Facility:

A.    Summary:

A 19 million #//yr carpet fiber washing, separating and drying facility can be installed for approximately $1.75 million capital cost for a single pass post industrial material.  For post consumer, which requires two separations, the capital cost is approximately $2.5 million.  These are expected to require 2 to 3 operators/shift on a 24/7 basis.  Either PA, PET or PP would be the salvaged product. 

B.     Assumptions:

1.      Post industrial carpeting (so called soft carpet) is without foam or mineral in backing and consists of the face fiber (PA, PET,PP) and PP backing.  A one pass Censor is satisfactory.

2.      Post consumer carpeting includes used carpet with the full commercial backing as well as contaminate of dirt, etc.  Two passes through the Censor is required.

3.      Feed stock needs to be size reduced to 3/8” to ½”

      (8/12 mm).

4.      Sorting will be by polymer type only and will exit as dry carpet fiber.

C.    Details:

1.      Feed stock preparation by size reduction through 3/8” to ½” screens will depend upon specific application.

2.      Sufficient storage facilities are utilized to make for smooth and continuous flow to slurry tank.

3.      Wash line is a “Censor “ unit that reduces the footprint of the wash portion of the system to a 14’ X 18’ footprint.

4.      The face material will be separated in one or two passes as required.

5.      Face material will be dried to no more than .5% and remains as fiber.

 

 

          Post Consumer Film Recycling Facility:

 

A.    Summary:

A 16 million-pound/yr. Film washing and drying facility can be installed

for approximately $1,750,000 capital cost.  It is expected to require 2 operators per shift on a 24/7 operating basis.

 

B.     Assumptions:. 

1.  Bales of mixed plastic bags and loose film go into a bale breaker for feedstock.

2.      Material is post consumer

3.      There will be no need to sort by color

4.      Size reduction and cleaning will depend upon specific application.

 

C.    Details

1.  Bale breaker, size reduction and metal removal prepares feedstock for     washing and separation.

2.      Sufficient storage facilities are utilized to make for smooth and continuous feed to a slurry tank.

Wash line is a Proprietary Censor unit which compresses the washing to a totally enclosed centrifugal unit, with approximately 14’ X 18’ footprint, compared to a float/sink tank of more that 100ft. with stirring and mixing devices and splashing water.

3.      In this case the light fraction is the desired product and all contaminates go out with the heavy fraction.

4.      Material is dried to less than 0.5% moisture and used as fluff.

5.      Pelletizing is an option at additional cost.

  

 

POLYETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE (PET or PETE)

COMES AS: Beverage, mouthwash, peanut butter and salad dressing bottles; TV dinner trays and plastic wrap

RECYCLED PETE IS USED TO MAKE: Clothing fibers, tote bags, furniture, carpet and new beverage containers

HIGH DENSITY POLYETHLENE (HDPE)

COMES AS: Milk, water and juice bottles, trash and shopping bags; detergent, yogurt and margarine containers

RECYCLED HDPE IS USED TO MAKE: Detergent, oil and vitamin bottles, drain pipes, recycling bins, dog houses, and other plastic lumber

POLYVINYL CHLORIDE (VINYL or PVC)

COMES AS: Clear food packages, shampoo bottles, toiletry and medicine tubes

RECYCLED PVC IS USED TO MAKE: Packaging, binders, mats, decks, paneling, roadway gutters, mud flaps and speed bumps

LOW DENSITY POLYETHLENE (LDPE)

COMES AS: Bread and frozen food bags; squeezable bottles

RECYCLED LDPE IS USED TO MAKE: Mailing envelopes, trash cans, trash liners, furniture, floor tiles, paneling and compost bins and lumber

POLYPROPYLENE (PP)

COMES AS: Ketchup, medicine and dairy product containers

RECYCLED PP IS USED TO MAKE: Signal lights, car battery components, brooms, brushes, oil funnels, ice scrapers, bike racks, pallets, storage bins and trays

POLYSTYRENE (PS)

COMES AS: Packing foam, egg cartons, meat trays, aspirin bottles, plates, CD jackets and food service items

RECYCLED PS IS USED TO MAKE: Thermometers, switch plates, insulation, egg cartons, vents, office supplies, foam packaging and containers

OTHER

COMES AS: 3- and 5-gallon reusable water bottles, some citrus juice and ketchup bottles

OTHER PLASTICS CAN BE USED TO MAKE: Custom products and plastic lumber

 

 

Please drop us a line on the form below or give us a call 

at

860-872-4660

We look forward to hearing from you!

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Copyright © 2004 Action International Inc.
 P.O. Box 448, Vernon CT. 06066
Phone: 860-872-4660
Fax: 860-394-3030

www.actioninternationalinc.com