Plastic Recycling Process Midlands Recycling Solutions and i

 Due to their lightness relative to volume, it is seldom cost-effective to transport plastics by truck unless they are first compressed. This is achieved in two main ways:

• Baling – Special baling machines form dense, uniformly shaped, stackable bales, secured by twine or wire, that can be palletised for easy loading by forklift or Hiab crane. Baling removes as much air as possible, reducing volume by up to 90%, significantly increasing the amount of plastic that can be transported compared to un-baled loads.
• Compacting – Modern compactors break down certain plastics, usually expanded polystyrene, and use heat to form them into briquettes that can be recycled to generate revenue.

 Next, plastics we receive need to be sorted and purged of labels, foil, dirt, and other residues using several processes:

• Sorting – The recycling industry has seen huge technological advances in waste sorting processes, many of which are incorporated by Midlands Recycling Solutions to produce the purest recycled plastics possible.
• Sawing – Granulation and shredding equipment is size-limited, so sawing is used to cut down large items like uPVC windows, piping, and other bulky construction materials to a manageable size.
• Stripping – Much of the plastic we recycle needs to be liberated from consumer goods, furniture, wheelie bins, vehicles, machinery, and other items containing metal, wood, glass, or different types of plastic. This involves a stripping down process.
• Washing & Drying – To prevent contamination of the end product, it is essential that plastics are washed to remove food and drink residues, grease, dust, and other contaminants.

 Before the final stages of recycling, plastics must be reduced to a manageable size so they can be easily introduced to the final processing machines.

• Shredding – The initial stage of size reduction uses powerful, hydraulic shredding machines with spinning rotors that rip the plastics into smaller pieces, usually around 60mm, ready for the next stage.
• Granulation – Granulator machines use high-speed rotating knives to further reduce the size of the pieces, known as regrind. A perforated screen beneath the blades determines the final size of the fragments, typically 10-12mm in diameter.

 Blending is the process of combining smaller batches of the same type of plastic into a larger, homogenous mix. This involves three stages:

• Pre-blending – Ensuring the purity of the plastic regrind before the next stage is crucial to avoid costly contamination of the end product. Pre-blending a sample batch is essential to the recycling process.
• Blending – Midlands Recycling Solutions' customers have a wide range of needs, and it is at this stage that refinements to the formula are made. The goal is to create a uniform, homogenous batch for use in plastic parts or products. Blending can be done by quantity (volumetric) or weight (gravimetric). Common applications include colouring and stabilisation.
• Post-blending – Our technicians carefully manage the recycling process to ensure the final raw materials meet the required standards. However, in complex procedures, small fluctuations in the compound may occur. The post-blending stage corrects these issues, usually through further blending.

For lower-grade heat-based applications, such as certain types of sheet extrusion and injection moulding, regrind can be used directly from the granulation stage. However, many customers require additional refinement to produce higher quality raw materials. This is done through automated compounding machines, where the plastic is passed along a heated barrel using an Archimedes screw system. This removes residual moisture and gases, while allowing technicians to add specified additives and fillers. The melted plastic is then extruded through a mesh screen to remove any remaining impurities and forced through a die-plate to produce pellets. 

While the process described above is highly efficient and produces excellent results, it is not suitable for all types of plastics, including plastic film, plastic bags, FIBCs, plastic-based textiles (e.g. polyester, nylon, and rayon), or similarly thin materials. Midlands Recycling Solutions still has the capability to process these items, but we use a specialised procedure to achieve consistent size and colour in the resulting pellets. 

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