Recycling of plastic bottles is an extremely relevant topic for our country. The number of PET containers produced is constantly increasing, and new enterprises for its disposal are practically not opened, despite the fact that recycled bottles are a valuable recyclable material. The result is huge landfills for plastic waste.

Plastic bottles are plastic containers for storing various kinds of liquids.(milk, beer, vegetable oils, motor oils, medicines, water, soft drinks, etc.). Plastic bottles have a number of advantages over glass containers. These advantages determine such a wide distribution of plastic containers in the modern world.

In the manufacture of plastic bottles, various raw materials are used, depending on the type of which a certain marking is applied to the surface of the container. So, plastic containers are made from:

• HDPE, LDPE - high and low density polyethylene, respectively;
• PET - polyethylene terephthalate;
• PVC - polyvinyl chloride;
• PP - polypropylene;
• PS - polystyrene;
• other polymers.

Since polyethylene terephthalate is most often used in the production of containers for drinks, further in the article we will mainly consider PET waste and the processing of PET bottles.

In Russia, a technical condition has been developed, according to which all PET waste is sorted into several main groups by color: dark waste (brown, black), blue and green waste, transparent and unpainted waste (yellow, cream, etc.) ...

Note! In our country, several hundred thousand tons of PET wastes are generated annually, of which most of them are plastic bottles.

Used PET bottles belong to the 5th class of hazardous waste (non-hazardous), but this does not mean that such containers can be disposed of in large quantities in landfills without harm to the environment. The impact on the nature of plastic waste is discussed later in this article.

Harm to the environment

The main harm to the environment caused by plastic bottles is that plastic products do not rot (biodegradation), they can lie in landfills for 100, 500 and even more years. At the same time, due to many other factors (low production cost, lightness of the material, etc.), a huge number of plastic bottles are produced today. After use, the containers become waste, the landfills with which occupy such large territories that their contours are visible even from space.

In the modern world, scientists are trying to solve this difficult environmental problem by obtaining new biodegradable packaging. However, the introduction of the latest technologies in factories for the production of plastic bottles is, unfortunately, not affordable for most enterprises.

PET bottle recycling process

Recycling plastic bottles involves recycling them for reuse or making other materials. The technology is not complicated.

Recycling of PET bottles is carried out in stages. Let's consider each of the stages in more detail.

1. Collection and sorting of bottles. Perhaps the easiest step in the whole process. The collection of raw materials is carried out by installing separate tanks for plastic bottles in the yards and opening plastic collection points around the city. They also collect the necessary containers at the solid waste landfills.
2. Shredding bottles. At this stage, a processing apparatus such as a crusher is needed. The collected, sorted bottles are placed in this plant, where they are crushed into flakes of a certain size, called PET flex. The resulting mass is washed, while using caustic soda. Then, paper stickers are separated from the washed mass in a special centrifuge. Polypropylene labels and caps are removed by flotation. After that, the flex is re-washed with plain water and transferred to a dryer, in which it is dried by streams of heated air masses. Dried flex is unloaded and packaged. Such material can be sold. However, after the grinding stage, the process can also go using a different technology.
3. Agglomeration. Crushed bottles are exposed to high temperatures, and small caked lumps are formed. Such agglomerates, like flex, can be put up for sale, but it is also possible to carry out further processing - granulation.
4. Granulation. This stage is needed to improve the purity and quality of raw materials, and, consequently, to increase its cost. This stage is also called "briquetting". The crushed mass is converted into pieces with a certain shape, into granules having the same weight and size. To do this, under the influence of slight pressure, the pieces are compacted, then the parts themselves are deformed and their adhesion at the molecular level occurs. At the final stage of the process, the pressure is increased. The result is granules with high strength.

What is made of PET bottles after recycling? The products obtained at different stages of the process are sold to factories for subsequent use as recyclable materials in the production of polyester fibers (from which clothes, pillows are made), polyester sheets, bandage tape or new PET bottles.

Recycling of plastic bottle caps is also carried out at container recycling facilities. The resulting recyclable materials are used in the production of stationery (caps for pens, files), disposable tableware, etc.

Recycling PET bottles as a business idea

How a business a PET bottle recycling plant (or mini-plant) can be set up, provided the business plan is well developed. What needs to be done to build a plastic bottle recycling business? Let's take a look at the main points.

First, an entrepreneur must register his organization. A prerequisite for launching an enterprise is obtaining a license. And, of course, you need to coordinate activities with fire services and SES.

Next, you will need to find a suitable room, it is better that it is located outside the city. It will need to be divided into three zones in which the storage of raw materials and the finished product, as well as the production itself, will be carried out.

Necessary equipment for processing PET bottles

After the premises are found, you need to start purchasing equipment for processing. An entrepreneur can choose either Russian or foreign devices for his enterprise. Imported equipment will require significantly higher costs than domestic equipment, but its quality will also be better.

A complete PET bottle recycling line includes several main machines that are connected by conveyors. The line consists of:

• crushers;
• agglomerator;
• granulator.

The cost of the devices varies, the equipment of the line, its capacity and the degree of automation have a significant impact on the price. The average price for a line of complete processing of PET containers with good performance from different suppliers is about 3 million rubles. It is clear that for many entrepreneurs this price will be prohibitive, even taking into account possible government subsidies. Therefore, when purchasing equipment, you can resort to some tricks. For example, it may be more profitable to buy individual devices and then assemble a complete line from them yourself. In addition, you can buy used machines, which also allow you to save a lot.

When starting a business, you can first buy equipment only for the production of flex, and after "promotion", you can buy additional devices (agglomerator and granulator) that make up a line for the complete processing of bottles. For the production of flex, equipment with a cost of approximately 500 thousand rubles will be required. It includes the following main devices:

• crusher;
• baths for washing plastic mass;
• centrifuge.

After purchasing all the necessary equipment, you need to collect raw materials (this was described above in the article). Of course, in order to start an enterprise, it will be necessary to find employees, the number of which at the initial stage may be relatively small. It will also be necessary to find wholesale buyers of the manufactured materials.

If everything was done correctly when opening an enterprise, then this kind of business will quickly pay off and after a short period of time it will already begin to bring good profit.

A good example of successful business experience is the experience of Western countries in the disposal of plastic bottles. This can be confirmed by the fact that most of the plastic waste in these countries is now being recycled to create new products and materials.

How to open a PET bottle recycling business in our country and what needs to be done to make the business successful is described in the next video.

Recycling PET bottles at home

It is highly discouraged to re-melt plastic bottles in order to create new products, as this may be unsafe for health.

Of course, it is impossible to dispose of bottles at home using the technology described above. PET bottles that have accumulated at home can be reused, while inventing an original application for such containers. For example, they can be used to build bird feeders or make pots for flowers and seedlings, etc.

Can you start a home recycling business? The question is controversial. However, there is a positive example in the world of how a person literally assembled a plastic recycling machine in his garage. The project, called Precious Plastic, was developed by Dutch resident Dave Hackens. His self-assembled machine includes: shredder, extruder, injector and compressor. All devices are small and therefore mobile. The use of such a machine makes it possible to create new plastic products.

Hackens machines are not for sale. However, on the Internet, he exposes all his drawings for free, according to which anyone with certain engineering knowledge can make a similar installation for the processing of bottles and other plastic products himself. Having built such a facility, it will be possible to create a home business selling self-made plastic products.

Disposal of plastic bottles at home is still a complicated process, and if you do not want to build a business on this, then it is better to take the accumulated pile of plastic bottles to special collection points.

Where to take waste PET bottles

You can donate waste PET bottles to collection points organized by licensed companies that collect and recycle recyclable materials. Organizations can also install trash cans designed specifically for PET bottles. Such companies either only accept waste for the purpose of selling it to factories as recyclable materials, or they themselves process it. You can also dispose of large quantities of plastic waste by directly contacting the company and drawing up a disposal agreement with it.

In some cases, when accepting, special requirements for packaging may be put forward, for example:

1. The bottles must be clean and dry.
2. Containers must be free of paint and any debris.
3. These should not be vegetable oil bottles.

Containers sorted by color are more expensive.

Different companies offer different amounts of money for raw materials. Thus, one of the Moscow companies purchases PET bottles for 18 thousand rubles. for 1 ton.

Waste disposal is a rational solution to many environmental problems that exist around the world. Recycling plastic bottles is not only beneficial from an environmental point of view, but also beneficial from a financial point of view. A properly built packaging recycling business will be successful in Russia, since we have almost no competition in this industry.