Common Soft Plastics:

Films: Shopping bags, bread bags, frozen food bags, cling wrap.

Packaging: Bubble wrap, product overwrap (e.g., from toilet paper, water bottles), cereal box liners, chip bags.

Other: Ziplock bags, dry cleaning bags, some food pouches.

They are typically made of LDPE (Low-Density Polyethylene) or PP (Polypropylene). Their lightweight, often contaminated, and flexible nature makes them difficult and uneconomical to recycle through traditional mechanical recycling systems. They often clog sorting machinery at Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs).

Waste Soft Plastic Recycling Machine Solution:

1. Collection and Sorting (Preprocessing):

Pre-Consumer: Machines at factories handle clean, uniform waste (e.g., film trim from packaging lines).

Post-Consumer: Requires more effort. Some advanced systems use automated sorting (e.g., NIR sorters) or manual sorting to separate by polymer type and remove contaminants.

2. Plastic Shredding and Washing Line(Critical Steps):

Shredding/Crushing: Using an anti-winding twin-shaft shredder or heavy-duty shredder, rolls of soft plastic are cut into smaller pieces. The specially designed blades effectively prevent the film from tangling around the spindle.

Hot Washing and Rinsing: The fragments enter a hot washing tank where oil, sand, labels, and adhesives are removed through mechanical friction and detergent.

Dehydration and Drying: Using a high-speed friction dehydrator and/or a hot air dryer, the moisture content of the fragments is reduced to an extremely low level (<1%), which is crucial for subsequent granulation quality.

3. Plastic Pelletizing Machine (Core Equipment):

Melt Compaction: This is a special step in the recycling of soft plastics. The dried fragments enter a compactor/feeder, where a screw conveyor and frictional heating melt and compact the loose fragments into a “dough”-like consistency, significantly increasing density and feed stability.

Extrusion Filtration: The compacted material enters a single-screw or twin-screw extruder for thorough melting and homogenization. The melt passes through a high-precision filter (screen changer) to remove minute impurities, which is crucial for ensuring particle cleanliness.

4. Final Product: Recycled Pellets (rLDPE, rPP)

These pellets can be used to manufacture new products like:

New plastic bags and films (closed-loop).

Composite lumber for decking, benches, and fences.

Pipes, bins, and other molded plastic items.

Why Choose Purui Machinery:

With over 25+ years of expertise and a footprint in over 100 countries, Purui Machinery continues to lead the way in plastic regeneration.

Purui Machinery is a high-tech enterprise specializing in the R&D and manufacturing of plastic recycling machinery. Its product portfolio includes plastic pelletizing lines, washing lines, and crushing equipment. Purui is dedicated to providing global customers with the most efficient, reliable, and intelligent plastic regeneration systems.

Contact Us to Get Your Customized Recycling Solution:

E-mail: [email protected]

Tel / Whatsapp: +8617701563079

Partner with Purui Machinery - Turn your plastic waste into premium-grade sustainable profits.