Extrusion International 6-2022

50 Extrusion International 6/2022 RECYCLING Plastic Recycling on the Rise It may be good for everyone to be in the plastic recycling business whether being a recycler or a producer. New regulations in many countries now require producers to use a higher percentage of recycled content in flexible and rigid packaging products. The instability of raw material prices and supplies also forces plastic producers to better recycle their production waste. With the great importance of recycled-based plastic products, the global demand for plastic recycling is expanding. Recyclers are now purchasing more advanced technologies and much plastic equipment at once, as well as bigger pelletizing extruders. Cutter-compactor recycling machine A cutter compactor has a clear ad- vantage, especially for larger-sized recycling extruders. Through natural heat and friction generated from the rotation, it can quickly compact and densify the light-weighted material into a more solid form to be fed into the extruder at a constant rate. That’s why the Repro-Flex model from a Taiwan-based recycling ma- chine manufacturer POLYSTAR has become one of the most popular models among recyclers due to its high level of efficiency and stability in recycling both soft and hard plas- tic scraps in a variety of forms. As of today, 1,200 Repro-Flex recycling machines are in operation world- wide. Two-stage Plastic Recycling Machine Adds Flexibility for Recyclers For recyclers who process washed and fully printed post-consumer waste, POLYSTAR offers an op- tion of adding a second extruder to the Repro-Flex model. Also hav- ing a cutter compactor built in and operating with the same working principles, the two-stage model Repro-Flex Plus has a total of three degassing zones and two filtration steps throughout the entire recy- cling process. This model is also ideal for processing post-industrial laminated/multi-layered waste. When processing post-consumer materials, the cutter-compactor re- duces the ink and moisture level of the material coming from the wash- ing lines, such as washed flakes (from film and woven bags) as well as regrind waste from milk and shampoo bottles. At the same time, it stabilizes the material being fed into the extrusion pelletizing line to ensure consistent production out- put and better pellets quality. Post-consumer and Post-industrial Plastics Recycling Demand is Growing Plastic Recycling Machine with Cutter-Compactor Integrated