Part 3 of Green Innovation: Recycling Plastics Series

Washing

The washing process can be completed many ways, with the main focus to remove non-plastic contaminants. For example, PRM sells many types of washers for plastic films which can be used individually or together. These include the Hot Water Washer and the Friction Washer.

The Hot Water Washer: The PRM’s Hot Water Washer works by sending plastic flakes (specifically PET) horizontally through the machine. As they travel, they are sprayed with hot water and sterilized.

The Friction Washer: Much like the hot water washer, the plastic – again PET – is sprayed with hot water as it travels throughout the machine. This time, however, the plastic is fed into the bottom of an inclined, mesh-walled cylinder. The cylinder, spinning at around 1000 rpm, flings small contaminants through the mesh and causes the plastic pieces to rub against each other, scraping of dirt and grime.

Resizing

During the resizing process, plastics are cut into much smaller pieces. This makes storage and processing both easier and more efficient. In fact, although it has been posted later in the list, it often occurs before the washing process.

In PRM’s plant recycling line, for example, they use an assortment of machinery to cut plastic films down to 10 – 20 mm in size. To learn more about the resizing equipment they use, check out the size-reduction section of their website.

Stay Tuned for Part 4 of the Green Innovation: Plastics Recycling Series!