Current situation of plastic granulation

Plastic granulation is the core of plastic recycling. Global production exceeds 400 million tons annually, yet only ~30% enters recycling. Granulation converts clean single-material waste (PET, HDPE, PP) into reusable pellets via melt extrusion.

Recycling granulation process

1. Sorting & Classification Remove metals, fabrics, and other contaminants. Separate by plastic type (PET, HDPE, PP) to ensure feedstock purity.
2. Washing & Crushing High-temperature water or chemical washing removes labels and oil. Crusher reduces plastic to 1–5 cm fragments for efficient melting.
3. Melt Extrusion Fragments enter the extruder and heat to material-specific temperatures:
PET: 260–280°C
HDPE: 180–220°C
PP: 200–230°C
Molten plastic passes through a filter screen, then extrudes through a die into continuous strips.
4. Cooling & Pelletizing Strips are cooled by water or air, then cut by a granulator into uniform 1–5 mm pellets.

Plastic granulation video