How to Make Your Own Plastic Recycling Equipment

When it comes to making your own plastic recycling equipment, you can use inexpensive materials or even a cheap shipping container. Plastic recycling equipment can be used to recycle waste plastic, create molds, and extrude plastic for 3D printing. You can also build your own plastic recycling equipment with the help of low-cost videos that demonstrate how to make these machines. Universal Parts and basic materials can help you build plastic shredders and other machines for recycling waste plastic. In addition, you can build a complete recycling workshop inside a shipping container.
Recyclable plastics

Plastic is an abundant resource, but the recycling process is not always straightforward. For instance, expanded polystyrene, which is 95% air, has a higher energy cost to recycle. Some recycling equipment is unable to process it properly, which makes it ineligible for reuse. Other recyclable plastics include nylon, PET, and PP. Here are a few tips to make the process as easy and as effective as possible.

Plastic recycling facilities sort recyclable materials into different grades based on their properties, such as their melting points and colors. These facilities vary in funding and size. Some are part of larger companies, while others are small privately owned operations. After sorting the recyclable plastics, the process proceeds to compression of the pieces into bales. The recycled material is then sold to companies that reuse it to make new products or services. The recycling market is evolving, but the guidelines for proper plastic recycling equipment are relatively universal.

A growing number of people are becoming interested in recycling plastic. In addition to reducing costs, many plastic products can be repurposed for higher value applications. With modern plastic recycling equipment, recycling has never been easier and more affordable. The use of reliable detectors and sophisticated decision and recognition software has made the process faster, easier, and more accurate. Many PET sheets used in thermoforming are made from up to 70 percent recycled PET, which is an important component of the process.
Innovative ways to recycle plastics

Chemical recycling breaks down the plastic molecules and creates pure new ones. Plastic molecules are composed of smaller building blocks called monomers. Through the use of heat, these monomers can be separated from contaminants and pieced back together to create a new plastic. This process is called depolymerization. By combining these monomers, it is possible to recycle one plastic bottle into countless more, all of them good as new.

Current recycling processes are not very effective at removing impurities, making recycled plastic less usable. While plastic bottles can be recycled two or three times, the process of re-melting it produces lower-value materials that are often disposed of in landfills. This results in more trash than the initial amount. Innovative ways to recycle plastics are constantly being developed to solve these problems. In one example, a brewery switched from plastic beer can holders to biodegradable six-pack rings to protect marine life.

Microplastics can be ingested by animals and enter the food chain. Many products, including TVs, are made of plastic. Because it is cheap and easy to shape, plastic is used in almost every application. However, some types of plastics are particularly durable, making their disposal a problem. If this continues, there is no alternative but to search for new solutions. If you haven't yet, consider one of these ideas.
Open-source machines

Dave's Shredder is one such piece of open-source plastic recycling equipment. It's a simple machine that can shred plastic, extrude it for 3D printing, and even form molds. Hakkens created these machines using simple tools and universal materials. The most difficult part of the project was making the machines accessible to everyone around the world. Luckily, the project's website is filled with tutorials and step-by-step plans to build the machine yourself.

The open-source version of the machine is a simplified replica of industrial-scale plastic recycling equipment. It is also designed to work in local production centers. The blueprints are free, making the equipment accessible to everyone. The Dutch industrial designer, Dave Hakkens, hopes his open-source plastic recycling equipment will help make the world a better place. This innovative machine is based on an industrial-scale model of plastic recycling, but is designed for local use.

Most parts of the machine can be found in a scrapyard. The videos assume that you're familiar with metal fabrication and electrical engineering. More machines are being planned for the future. Ultimately, you'll have a complete set of recyclable machinery without the high costs. And best of all, the project is open-source, so you can learn and improve the machine as you go. With the open-source approach, you can build your own plastic recycling equipment without compromising quality.