CHIFENG TECHNOLOGY | Recycled Plastic Pellets

Step 1: Collection

After consumers deposit bottles into recycling bins, they are transported to recycling facilities where plastics are initially separated from glass, metal, and paper.

Step 2: Material Sorting

This is one of the most critical stages. Modern sorting facilities use:

**Optical sorters**: Using Near-Infrared (NIR) to identify different plastic types (PET, HDPE, PP, etc.)
**Color sorters**: Separating clear, blue, and green bottles
**Manual inspection**: Ensuring sorting purity reaches 99%+

Step 3: Washing

Sorted plastics enter the washing line:

Remove labels and caps (different materials)
High-temperature alkaline wash to remove residues and glue
Fresh water rinse and drying

Step 4: Shredding

Clean bottles are shredded into approximately 1-2 cm flakes, a size ideal for subsequent extrusion and convenient for storage and transportation.

Step 5: Extrusion

Plastic flakes enter a twin-screw extruder:

Heated to 200-280°C (depending on material)
Vacuum degassing removes residual moisture and volatiles
Molten plastic passes through a die to form strands

Step 6: Pelletizing and Inspection

The plastic strands pass through a cooling water bath and are cut by a pelletizer into approximately 3mm cylindrical pellets. Each batch undergoes:

Melt Flow Index (MFI) testing
Impact strength testing
Color difference inspection
Moisture content testing

Pellets that pass inspection are packaged and shipped, ready to become raw materials for new products.

Conclusion

A bottle's rebirth requires dozens of rigorous processes. This is the value of recycled plastics—it is not just material, but a responsible choice for the environment.