Plastic Film Recycling Workflow

Basics

• Plastic Films can be hard to recycle with standard workflows due to their flexibility, and how some are metal coated and/or multimaterial
• This page shows a way to reduce the usual issues
• It can be recycled in conventional methods, but that typically causes long term maitnence issues

Single Material Films

Densification

• Small scale:
  • Hand Iron Bags into a Block/Solid Sheet
    • This can be used as is/pressed and used if sheets are desired
  • Then Shred the Sheet and use usual workflows
• Medium Scale
  • Place in a Plastic Sheetpress or Compression Molding Machine
  • Then use as a sheet, or the usual workflows

Metal Coated Films

• Follow the Above Steps First
• THEN immerse in an acid for that specific metal/metals
  • Can use a dedicated reactor, or a stirred vessel such as a plastic bucket
  • Continue this until all metal is removed
  • Then Remove From Acid, and Wash
  • Metal is Recovered Via Precipitation or Electroplating
  • Plastic is washed, dried, and then usable

Multiple Plastic Layer Films

• Can anything short of Pyrolysis be done?