Business for accepting plastic bottles. Collection of plastic bottles. Choosing a place to recycle plastic

Polyethylene terephthalate is commonly called simply PET.

This is one of the most versatile and inexpensive materials for the production of convenient packaging.

Usually Drink bottles are made from polyethylene.

On average, one person produces more than 360 kg of solids per year household waste.

A significant part of them are plastic bottles, the decomposition of which in natural conditions will take hundreds of years.

Landfills are growing around major cities. The developed countries have been recycling and disposing of their waste for a long time. Gradually, the problem of garbage is beginning to be solved in Russia. It turned out that recycling plastic bottles can bring good income.

Today there are two main technologies. Most often obtained from plastic bottles PET granules, which are reused in the production of various polymer products. The technology for converting old bottles is revolutionary into automobile fuel. The domestic installation gives a product yield of about 900 grams per 1 kg of raw materials.

True, such equipment costs about 12-17 million rubles and is not affordable for small businesses. But the production of recycled PET is not difficult to organize. How does this happen and where to use the resulting recyclables? Let's consider the main stages.

Collection of raw materials

The collection of raw materials is the easiest to organize, but it costs minimum cash investment.

The municipality will most likely agree to such initiatives.

The easiest ways:

• create reception points;
• establish cooperation with landfills;
• install on the streets bottle bins;
• put machines for automated assembly of raw materials among the population.

The bottles are very light but bulky, so significant transport costs may be required at this stage. They can be reduced by purchasing a small press. This will allow us to significantly reduce the volume of primary raw materials and reduce the costs of transporting them.

If possible, bottles are better immediately collect without lids and rings, because they are made from a different type of plastic - PVC, which must be recycled separately.

Of course, at subsequent stages of processing they can be removed, but then it will not be so easy to compress them; you will need a special spiked press.

As an option, you can purchase a PET bottle piercer (puncher) as a separate unit.

Sorting

Not all plastic is the same, so the collected raw materials need to be sorted. Bottles are collected separately different colors:

• colorless,
• green,
• blue,
• brown.

Less suitable for bottle recycling like this:

• Red,
• from under the oil
• from dairy products,
• packaging for household chemicals.

This processing step is very important because it greatly affects the quality of the final product.

It is important to select only PET type plastic, excluding all other types.

Eat special types equipment that allows perform this sorting automatically, but if there is a cheap one work force, this can be done manually.

Cleaning

Sorted bottles must be thoroughly washed to remove labels, remaining contents, dust, dirt, and glue. Washing is simple hot water with caustic soda. The caps are unscrewed or cut off from the bottles if this has not been done previously.

For better cleaning from the inside bottles need to be crushed.

Splitting up

Well-washed PET is converted into special crushers flex– multi-colored flakes measuring 12-20 mm.

There are production lines that combine washing and crushing, which improves the quality of the finished product.

At the same stage, you can automatically sort the material by color, if this has not been done before.

Sorting PET by color is very important because Prices for plastic of different colors differ. Brown flakes are the highest quality, but the cheapest, as they cannot be repainted. Their purchase price is approximately $600 per ton. Next comes green and blue flex. Transparent is the most expensive, up to $800 per ton.

After washing, the flex is thoroughly dried in a centrifuge and dryer.

Unloading and packaging

Flex is an intermediate product in the PET bottles processing line, although many sell it as a finished product.

Clean and dry flakes are unloaded from the drying chamber hopper and packaged in big bags or plastic bags, usually 30 kg each.

The finished flex can already be sold to manufacturers, or you can still work on it and get a more expensive product - granules.

Agglomeration

This is the process of flex sintering. It is crushed with rotating knives at a temperature of 100 degrees, resulting in small lumps of 2-15 mm. These lumps are sent for the final operation - granulation.

Granulation

The crushed mass turns into granules of the same size and weight. Next is the mixture:

• heats up to 280 degrees,
• stretched into fibers
• cut into identical granules.

At this stage you can use extruder.
In this case the mixture:

• melts,
• mixed,
• is drawn into fibers.

Received fibers:

• cut into pieces of the required length,
• cool in cold water.

From such material already can be produced:

• sewer pipes,
• sheath for electrical wires,
• mesh
• and much more.

Granular plastic is already finished raw materials for packaging manufacturers and themselves wide range products - from basins to clothes.

Demand on the market

Recycled PET granulate is in wide demand in production:

• preforms for plastic bottles;
• thick film;
• binding twine;
• polyester for the textile industry;
• tiles;
• Euro pallets;
• paving slabs;
• abrasive wheels;
• components for the automotive industry (engine covers, panels, bumpers, doors) and much more.

Recycling plastic bottles can be very profitable if the process is properly organized. Raw materials are cheap and available, and the final product widely in demand.

The same material can be recycled more than once.

Prospects

In Russia, such production is still poorly developed, which means competition is still minimal. But in many countries plastic has long been no longer found on landfills. This type of recycling allows you to:

• limit oil consumption,
• reduce pollution environment,
• reduce prices for PET products.

The time is not far off when there will be a serious struggle for access to landfills.

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A business that is based on processing recyclable materials will always be highly profitable. The use of used plastic bottles for the production of polymer chips, with proper organization of the sales process finished products, can not only quickly return invested cash, but also to ensure a constant, high income.

Advantages and disadvantages of business

The positive aspects of organizing the recycling of plastic bottles include the following:
Business is socially significant. The process of environmental pollution by various plastics is so great that you can count on help from the administration of the locality where plastic recycling will be organized.

The low level of competition in this business is a big advantage for those businessmen who will open a plastic bottle recycling business this year.

In addition to the advantages, such a business has disadvantages:

• To open a mini-plant for processing plastic bottles, you will need to register a large number of permitting documentation. In our country, this issue of recycling recyclable materials is not fully regulated and therefore just the legal registration of such an enterprise can take about 6 months.
• At first, it is quite difficult to arrange supplies of raw materials for processing. To sell finished products, it is also necessary to establish difficult relationships with manufacturers of plastic products.
• High dependence of plastic bottle recycling on manual labor. For the full functioning of even a small processing plant, it is necessary to hire a sufficient number of workers who need to be paid wages, as well as make payments in Pension Fund and the compulsory medical insurance fund.

Despite all the difficulties that may arise at the preparatory stage, a properly established process of supply and sales of products, as well as production technology, will allow you to quickly receive significant dividends from the funds invested in processing.

Process technology

The technological process of processing is carried out in the following sequence:

1. Collection of used plastic bottles.
2. Sorting of raw materials.
3. Removing metal and rubber from each bottle by hand.
4. Pressing of raw materials.
5. Pressed raw materials are loaded onto a conveyor for processing.

The result of processing will be flex, which is plastic flakes. Flex is used to make bottles or other plastic products. It is necessary to organize the bottle recycling process in such a way that the equipment does not stand idle. In order to ensure the operation of the equipment, a large amount of raw materials is required. The most suitable places for collecting products are various landfills. You can open a collection point for plastic bottles from the population. IN major cities can be placed in residential areas, containers with the inscription: “for plastic bottles.” Equipment for bottle recycling

To equip a small processing plant, you need to purchase:

• Conveyor for sorting.
• Vibrating sieve.
• Crusher.
• Centrifuge.
• Cork separator.
• Washing container.
• Drying.

This equipment will cost at least 4,000,000 rubles. If you purchase equipment on the secondary market, you can save up to 50% of the cost of a new production line.

Collection of raw materials and sale of finished products

For the full functioning of the processing line, a constant supply of raw materials is necessary, so it is necessary to diversify the channels for receiving bottles for processing as much as possible. This can be direct purchase from the population or from catering enterprises. Most of the raw materials can be obtained free of charge if you place containers for plastic bottles in places where waste is collected.

The less money is spent on purchasing raw materials, the lower the cost of production and the higher the profitability of the enterprise. Serious problems with the sale of finished products usually do not arise.

Flex, which is obtained as a result of bottle processing, is readily purchased in wholesale quantities by manufacturers of various plastic products.

We count profits

Implement exact calculation The profitability of a bottle recycling plant is very difficult. The difficulty lies in the fact that at the calculation stage it is impossible to determine the exact cost of raw materials. If the locality in which it is planned to open this production has a population of more than 100,000 people, then in this case you can count on a constant supply of raw materials at a price of 1 - 2 rubles per kilogram. Considering the large number of people who are below the poverty line, a collection point for used plastic bottles in big city, will allow you to obtain a large amount of inexpensive raw materials.
If the production of processing plastic containers will be located in a rural locality, then you can only count on successful business if there is a solid waste landfill in the immediate vicinity of the plant. In such conditions, it is also enough to set the plastic intake at the level of 1 - 2 rubles per 1 kg, and you will not have to worry about the supply of raw materials for processing.

The products will be sold at a price of 30 rubles per 1 kg of flexible. Considering the minimal amount of waste in the raw materials received, a plastic bottle recycled into flex will cost 15 times more than the original raw material.

This business would be considered extremely profitable, if not for the large monthly expenses for paying salaries to workers of the processing complex. Accepted containers must be manually sorted by color and quality of plastic. There is no automation that would cope with this work, so for the operation of a small production, you will need at least 4 people to work on the conveyor, and you also need loaders and a truck driver.

At least 100,000 rubles will be spent on salaries every month, but this amount can be increased if the processing plant operates in 2 shifts. In addition to salaries, it is necessary to pay utility costs, which will be quite significant due to consumption large quantity electricity. Average utility costs for a small processing plant will be at least 30,000 rubles per month.

At ideal conditions running this business, you can calculate the approximate profitability of the processing plant. With a processing capacity of 100 kg/h, in 1 work shift you can get up to 800 kg of flexible, which will be sold at a wholesale price of 30 rubles per 1 kg. Thus daily revenue enterprises will amount to 24,000 rubles. With a five-day working week, monthly revenue will be about 0.5 million rubles. From this amount you must subtract various monthly payments:

• Salary - 100,000 rubles.
• Rent - 50,000 rubles.
• Electricity - 30,000 rubles.
• The cost of raw materials is 50,000 rubles.

With monthly expenses of 230,000 rubles, the net profit will be about 300,000 rubles per month. With the initial costs of purchasing equipment, the enterprise will fully pay for itself within 1 year. Of course, such a development of events is only possible if the processing plant operates at full capacity. If insufficient quantities of raw materials are supplied for processing, then revenue will be significantly lower, and the payback period can be increased to 2 or more years.

Business development prospects

If, after 1 - 2 years of successful operation, the processing enterprise is operating successfully, and there is a need to increase production capacity, it will be possible to transfer the enterprise to round-the-clock operation. The profit that will be received from processing and selling plastic containers within 2 years can be used to open a plant with a higher production capacity.

The most promising location for this enterprise would be in a city with a population of more than 1 million inhabitants. To keep production busy, you can additionally purchase products from neighboring regions and deliver the goods by rail.

You can significantly increase the profitability of an enterprise for processing plastic bottles if you organize a full cycle of production of plastic products. In this case, there is no need to find buyers for flex; all produced plastic chips will be used for the production of bottles or other products.

Conclusion

Before engaging in this business, it is necessary to conduct market research. The exact quantity must be determined processing enterprises that operate in this region. If the city already has a processing plant of sufficiently large capacity, then it will be very difficult for a small enterprise to compete.

In any locality, the number of used containers is constant value, and if someone has already organized the collection of raw materials, then for the newly opened enterprise, the volume of containers accepted for processing will not be enough for full functioning. You should open a small workshop for processing plastic bottles in rented premises. When the business is established and needs to be expanded, it is necessary to build premises for this purpose.

In this case, you can completely exclude rent from monthly expenses, which will significantly increase the profitability of production. Despite serious difficulties in initial stage running a plastic bottle recycling business, this type entrepreneurial activity brings a very large profit, which directly depends on the correct organization of the supply of raw materials and the sale of finished products.

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For and topic today building a plastic recycling business.

As you know, PET plastic bottles and other types of plastic are practically resistant to rotting; you cannot burn such material, as it brings great harm environment and, as a rule, it is simply buried by tractors in city landfills.

At one time, I myself became interested in the topic of recycling recyclable materials and I conducted a kind of research on this issue.

As it turned out, not everything is as simple as I thought (in general, it’s always been like this), all landfills are controlled by special organizations and, as they say, everything is “captured”; I couldn’t get access to the garbage, no matter how funny it sounds, since this market has been divided for a long time and as they say, the channels are established.

Therefore, a newcomer to the plastic processing business may have problems right at the very beginning - these are the raw materials for processing. If you manage to resolve this issue, then your business is 50% successful.

You can, of course, set up plastic collection points, as well as place special ones around the city garbage bins with separation into paper, glass and plastic (as is done in most countries of the world), but here again there is a problem with the mentality of the Russian person, he doesn’t care what and where to throw, so you can find anything in your plastic container.

This was a preface to the business plan based on my own observations.

PET bottle recycling business plan

It is necessary to start this business with official registration of the business, for this it is necessary. I offer it as the most best option.

When registering an LLC, you must select the type of activity:

37.20 Treatment of non-metallic waste and scrap

It is enough to indicate this group to engage in this business, but in general we are interested in the subgroup ( 37.20.2 Treatment of waste and scrap plastics), but this subgroup is included in the group that I indicated initially and therefore indicate it as much as you can if something happens, engage in all types of processing that are included in the group:

1. Rubber waste treatment;
2. Processing of waste and scrap plastics;
3. Processing of waste and scrap glass;
4. Treatment of waste textile materials;
5. Processing of paper and cardboard waste;
6. Treatment of waste gemstones.

So if you choose OKVED 37.02, you will be able to use all of the listed activities.

Taxation on PET recycling

I would choose as a taxation system, this is due to the fact that UTII cannot be used, and there are not so many expenses in this business. Although it is still worth making calculations using the simplified tax system (15%), perhaps in your case such a tax will be more profitable. But I still lean towards the simplified tax system Income (6%).

Premises for organizing processing

Regarding the premises for processing PET plastic bottles, it must be found in the industrial zone. The area must be large enough to accommodate all equipment.

In some cities, targeted programs are carried out and businesses that process waste are given various discounts and preferences. You may even be able to rent premises from the administration.

The probability is certainly not great, but it’s still worth a try. In this case, the cost of renting the premises will be mere pennies, and in some cases it will be free. Since every city is interested in improving the environmental situation.

What equipment is required for processing?

After you find a location for your PET bottle recycling business, you should start choosing equipment.

Processing equipment can be purchased in modules, or you can purchase an entire processing line at once.

I would choose the second option. I also want to note that you should not purchase used equipment. It's better to overpay and get a new line.

Composition of the PET bottles recycling line:

1. Installation for removing paper and removing covers;
2. Crusher. Cuts plastic into small pieces;
3. Steam boiler. Eliminates excess elements from the resulting mass (using hot water);
4. Polishing machine;
5. Rinsing machine;
6. Dryer. The cleaned plastic is dried in it. After all the procedures, a flex is obtained, which is placed in a special bunker.

Flex is a recycled material used to produce new PET bottles (looks like plastic flakes).

As I said earlier, I recommend purchasing the line full cycle, and almost every manufacturer provides installation supervision services. That is, specialists come and install the line, as well as start processing and receive the first batch of flex.

PET bottle recycling process

Before starting a plastic bottle recycling business, an entrepreneur should become familiar with the recycling process itself.

Let's look at what you need to know about the recycling process:

1. PET bottle distribution. Before entering the line, bottles must be sorted by color;
2. Bottle cleaning. Each bottle must be cleaned of debris: paper, rubber and other debris that may get on the bottle;
3. Delivery to the processing line. After the first two points, you can start the line for processing and pressing, the most interesting thing: the first 2 points are done manually.

Where can I get raw materials for processing?

I already touched on this issue at the beginning of the article, so let’s determine where you can get raw materials for your processing business:

• Enter into an agreement with the city landfill. Trying, as they say, is not torture, you may be able to do it, so try by any means;
• Reception points. Open collection points for PET bottles around the city; for little money you can start accepting raw materials this way;
• Bins for plastic. It is better to place several bins: for plastic, paper and glass, because otherwise they will throw everything into your lonely trash bin. It is necessary to place ballot boxes around the city in crowded places. Please coordinate this issue with the administration in advance. 90% of the time they will not mind, but it is necessary to agree.

Profitability of PET recycling business

Let's look at the profitability of such a business. It’s really quite difficult to do this, since there are many unknowns: rent (perhaps the administration will even give you a place for your activity free of charge), the supply of raw materials, the equipment you will purchase, the amount of employees’ salaries, etc. Everything may differ depending on the region in which you open a processing business.

So I'll give you the average cost for recycling plastic bottles:

1. Equipment (mid price category) – RUB 3,000,000;
2. Costs for raw materials for processing - 30,000 rubles;
3. Wage workers for 6 people - 120,000 rubles.
4. Costs for contributions to the Pension Fund, Compulsory Medical Insurance Fund, Social Insurance Fund - about 40,000 rubles.
5. Utility bills are about 10,000 rubles.

That's probably all! You can ask questions in the VK group, the link to it is at the beginning of the article, or you can simply ask directly in the comments to the article.

Happy business! Bye!

Plastic bottles (PET containers) from drinks, like waste paper, are the most widespread consumer waste that can be used as recyclable materials in the household.

Methods for recycling PET containers

Recycling is the processing of waste to obtain secondary raw materials. The material for PET containers is polyethylene terephthalate, which is obtained from petroleum, and this makes recycling plastic bottles an extremely expedient way to obtain recyclable materials.

Burning

Burning PET containers to produce thermal energy is a fairly common and relatively cheap method of recycling recyclables. The resulting heat is used to heat water in centralized heating systems or directly to heat buildings. The caloric value of burning PET waste is 22,700 kJ/kg.

One of the ways to use waste is combustion to produce thermal energy

There are different opinions regarding the environmental friendliness of burning PET containers due to the gases released during combustion.

For example, some authors, citing research from various institutes, believe that when PET containers are burned, pollutants (heavy metal salts) contained in the raw materials as stabilizers and coloring pigments are released into the atmosphere and at high combustion temperatures (over 700 °C) almost undetectable.

Others, on the contrary, believe that used PET containers, according to the federal classifier, belong to the fifth (virtually non-hazardous) waste hazard class, and when burned, dioxins are not released due to the absence of chlorine in the composition of plastic bottles and plastic bags. The concentration and composition of substances released into the air during the combustion of plastic waste are at the same level as during the combustion of wood. According to research data, including foreign ones, the toxicity of gases is only 0.032 nanograms per gram of burned PET material.

Due to possible harm for the environment, any enterprise engaged in waste combustion must obtain permits (draft maximum permissible limits, permission to release pollutants into the air, technical passport of the boiler, furnace, fuel, etc.).

Granulation or pure flakes

This method is aimed at obtaining clean raw material flakes or granules from used PET containers.

Clean flakes - a product of processing PET containers

The raw materials generated during the processing of bottles are used for the production of products containing plastic: clothing, containers, carpets, as well as in paving stones, slate, insulation, etc.

The process of producing granules from PET material is quite complex and requires a lot of costs, which is not economically viable for small volumes: when receiving the starting material for recycling, it is necessary to sort the future recyclables from other waste and among themselves (by color), remove contaminants, pierce, remove lids and stickers, compressed, crushed (crushed), separated, washed, packaged and only then handed over for further processing.

Chemical recycling

The chemical recycling method is also used in processing if other methods are not possible or do not provide desired result. The method has become widespread, especially in America and Western Europe, although a large turnover is required to offset the costs of purchasing and maintaining equipment. Only under this condition will waste recycling be profitable.

When processing plastic waste, depolymerization occurs to obtain the starting material (terephthalic acid, ethylene glycol, unsaturated polyester resin) for subsequent recycling. It is advisable to install equipment for chemical recycling at MSW (municipal solid waste) landfills and landfills due to its high productivity and even higher cost.

Pyrolysis

Thermal decomposition is a method of recycling secondary polymer raw materials, which includes pyrolysis and catalytic thermolysis, which promote its decomposition into low-molecular compounds.

The decomposition of plastic waste by pyrolysis is an innovative technology

The processing of PET containers into automobile fuel is of increased interest. The installations make it possible to produce 900 grams of gasoline from one kilogram of raw materials. Plastic bottles, bags, car tires, cameras and other rubber products.

Waste rubber products are another source for the production of synthetic fuel

Producing fuel from plastic is somewhat more difficult and costly than from rubber products due to the use of catalysts. Hydrogen, hydrocarbons in the gaseous state, coke, benzene (wet), coal tar - an incomplete list of raw materials obtained from the pyrolysis decomposition of polymers.

Handicraft production

Handicraft recycling of PET containers involves the use of plastic containers as homemade products at home, in the country, or in a personal plot.

Photo gallery: Decorative crafts from used plastic bottles

Bottle peacock Decorative palm trees made from plastic bottles Houses for seedlings Flowers made from plastic bottles

The scope of application of products made from polyethylene bottles is very extensive. It could be fishing Agriculture, construction and alternative energy.

Ways to recycle plastic bottles at home

Combustion, granulation or pure flakes, chemical recycling, pyrolysis are among the methods industrial processing PET containers, even in their classic form, are not suitable for use in the household, otherwise you would have to turn your home into a waste warehouse and devote your life to collecting them. At the same time, the installations themselves for processing PET containers using combustion and pyrolysis methods for their own needs are quite within the capabilities of a skilled craftsman.

The main difficulty lies not in the inaccessibility of raw materials, but in their volume - even compressed bottles take up a lot of space.

Burning bottles in the household is ineffective due to the rather low calorific value of plastic and the high labor costs for its collection and preparation. With the maximum weight of a one and a half liter plastic container being 42 grams, it is easy to calculate: in order to collect 10 kg of plastic, you need to bring home at least 250 bottles! Even if the bottles fall from the sky under your feet, even in this case it will take at least three hours to prepare them for use and press them.

Pyrolysis processing when used compact installation of low power can be indispensable on farms due to its versatility (the ability to process rubber products, polyethylene).

Equipment for granulating and obtaining pure flakes is quite expensive, and in most cases it is simply not profitable for small businesses to purchase it. But the purchase of equipment for chemical recycling and industrial pyrolysis is perhaps not very advisable even for medium-sized businesses, despite the rather optimistic results of a study of the recyclables market.

The homemade use of PET bottles is ideal for home use.

Technologies for recycling PET bottles

Even compacted waste takes up a lot of space

Burning

If you decide to start recycling waste and choose a method such as burning PET containers to produce thermal energy, then to implement this plan you will need a processing line or installation.

Approximate diagram of a technological line for burning PET bottles

Equipment

The combustion plant must be connected to a centralized power supply system; 380 volts is most suitable. With installation dimensions of 2.5 m x 9 m, the total weight will be approximately 25 tons.

The production line includes:

• Raw material delivery system (screw, conveyor);
• Automatic burners using diesel or heating oil;
• Automatic loading system (loading drum, hydraulic cylinder);
• Primary (main) combustion chamber (furnace);
• Secondary combustion chamber (afterburning chamber);
• Ventilation and forced air supply system;
• Chimney with gas cleaning system;
• Oxygen and temperature sensors;
• Ash transportation and removal system;
• Press.

You will also need premises for installation, equipment, collection, sorting, pressing of PET containers, and a boiler room.

Process

The technological chain of industrial combustion of plastic waste can be divided into four stages.

At the preparatory stage, the containers are pierced, pressed, placed on a conveyor belt for delivery to an intermediate bunker, where they are manually loaded into the loading drum.

First stage:

• Warming up the system and maintaining the set temperature in the furnace and afterburning chamber are carried out automatically by diesel or heating oil burners, which are equipped with timers and separated from the main chamber by a partition made of high-quality sheet steel.
• A decrease or excessive increase in temperature in the furnace or secondary chamber is detected by a sensor and processed by the unit automatic control, after which the supply of air and fuel to the burner is turned on, reduced or stopped until the temperature meets the desired temperature.
• The electronic automatic control unit is equipped with a manual control function, which provides the ability, if necessary, to block the operation of burners, fans, fuel supply, and air in the event of an emergency.

Second phase:

• Loading of waste into the main chamber is carried out through an intermediate hopper using a hydraulic cylinder or auger. Complete combustion is achieved by creating high temperature in the main and additional chambers during active operation of the burners at the initial stage. The operating temperature when burning waste to neutralize the chlorine contained in bottle caps is maintained within 1200–1300 °C in the main furnace and 1100–1200 °C in the afterburner. To minimize heat losses when loading raw materials from waste, a system of automatic locking of the combustion chamber door is used when it is briefly opened to receive the next batch of PET waste.
• The waste is placed in a drum-type device equipped with an opening that closes when it is full. The loaded drum rotates, the waste falls out under the influence of gravity and is sent into the combustion chamber by a hydraulic cylinder, and the loading tank returns to its original place for subsequent filling. The entire loading process is controlled by a PLC controller.

Third stage:

• The main combustion of polymers is carried out in the main chamber (furnace). When material to be burned enters the combustion chamber, the fuel supply to the burners automatically stops simultaneously with the opening of the chamber door. This is programmed to ensure safety, as is the firebox with automatic locking devices.
• The internal surfaces of the main furnace and the afterburning chamber are made using refractory and heat-insulating materials designed for temperatures of 1280–1450 °C, the external surface is made of sheet steel.
• The air required for combustion is supplied through the side walls, its quantity is determined by the automatic control unit. Ash is formed from the solid residue during combustion. Excess heat is removed to the boiler room or other heat sink.
• Complete combustion (afterburning) of the gases formed during the reaction in the main reactor occurs in the afterburner at high temperature (1100–1200 °C), which is achieved through forced hyperventilation while controlling the oxygen content. A blower fan is provided for forced air injection.

Fourth stage:

• Primary purification of combustion products from dioxins and halogens is carried out in parallel with afterburning in an additional chamber due to the residence time of the formed gases in the combustion zone at a constantly maintained high temperature (2–3 seconds).
• At the outlet after the afterburner, gaseous substances (already quite neutral) enter the condensation chamber, where a sharp temperature decrease prevents the formation of dangerous compounds (dioxins), and the separator separates solid particles. The key requirement for the cleaning technology is the high-temperature regime and the duration of the presence of gases in the combustion chamber, as a result of which the decomposition of organochlorine materials occurs, and only after decomposition does the condenser, with a cooling tower for circulating water, perform its anti-dioxin function.

After undergoing all forms of purification, the gases enter the chimney, from where they are released into the atmosphere. The chimney is made of steel as a prefabricated structure, its height is approximately 6 m.

Pellet production technology

Equipment

• Loading system (screw and belt conveyor with magnetic separator);
• Sorting table;
• Crushing plant;
• Press;
• Automatic control unit;
• Crushing plant;
• Aspirator;
• Separators of various types;
• Filtration equipment;
• Granulator;
• Centrifuge;
• Water purification system.

Process

The production of pellets begins with manual sorting of waste. From total mass of incoming waste, especially contaminated ones are screened out, further operations for obtaining raw materials are carried out automatically.

Bottles are loaded onto a screw or belt conveyor, where a magnetic separator cleans them of metal-containing dirt and debris. Primary grinding is carried out in a crushing plant followed by air separation. To free the crushed plastic from labels, traces of glue, and other contaminants, the polymers are exposed to alkaline solutions, washed and rinsed in special baths, re-crushed and separated. The resulting substance after grinding and purification is pure flakes.

In order for clean flakes to become plastic granules, they are loaded into a granulator, where, under the influence of temperature and pressure, clean flakes lose their original volume and take on a more convenient form. reuse form - granules.

Video: Technological line for processing plastic bottles

Chemical recycling technology

Depolymerization, or polymer degradation, is a molecular fragmentation process in which larger molecules are broken down into smaller ones, producing soot, synthetic oil and gas. Depolymerization plant is industrial equipment with a temperature of exposure to raw materials in the range of 275–445 °C in the absence of oxygen access.

Equipment

• Working container for placing polymer-containing materials;
• Control devices;
• Devices for automatic or manual maintenance of the required pressure in the working tank;
• Pipelines;
• A means for heating the installation and materials;
• Steam and carbon dioxide pipelines;
• Device for ensuring forced passage along the contour of the working medium;
• Device for collecting decomposition products of materials subjected to depolymerization;
• Bypass section;
• Additional capacity(s);
• Device for turning on/off tanks and bypass section.

The depolymerization unit affects the raw material at a temperature of 275–445 °C

Process

For depolymerization, it is necessary to load materials to be processed into a working container equipped with control devices.

The chemical recycling plant uses a closed loop. Superheated steam or air is supplied in a closed circuit. The air is heated by a special device to a temperature of 170–220°, which is maintained throughout the entire process and circulates through a closed system. Next, water is injected into the circuit through the pipeline, increasing the excess pressure of the steam-air medium to 2-3 ati.

The last thing to enter the circuit is compressed carbon dioxide, which is supplied under pressure until the pressure of the gaseous mixture in the system reaches 4–6 ati. The resulting carbon-steam-air mixture circulates in a closed circuit for 5–8 hours, acting on the plastic until the initial raw materials (terephthalic acid, ethylene glycol, unsaturated polyester resin) are obtained for secondary polymerization. This time is enough for the polymers to break down into simpler molecules.

Operating principle of the installation high pressure with closed loop for waste depolymerization

After the process is completed, the pressure is released and the materials and decomposition products loaded into it are removed from the container.

Industrial installations have several loading tanks and closed circuits. The control unit allows you to stop the operation of one circuit without stopping the operation of the others.

Pyrolysis technology

Equipment

Here is a description of a low-power pyrolysis installation that can be used on a small farm. You will need:

• Press;
• Heat source;
• Retort;
• Containers for condensate;
• Water seal;
• Distillation cube.

The installation for dry low-temperature pyrolysis of plastic is quite simple and resembles a moonshine still, but has some differences. The output produces pyrolysis gas, oil-containing liquid and solid carbon-containing matter.

The pyrolysis installation is somewhat reminiscent of a moonshine still.

Process

A metal container is used as a reactor or retort, the lid of which must be equipped with an outlet tube made of heat-resistant material. The outlet tube from the retort is connected to a condenser, which is a container big size, ideally equipped with a heat removal system. The condenser, in turn, is connected to a vessel that acts as a water seal, while the tube connected to the condenser must be immersed in water. Another tube from the water seal container is located on the surface and connected to a stove or other source of open fire.

Polymer circulation in the pyrolysis chamber

A reactor or retort with pre-loaded raw materials is placed on a furnace or heated in another accessible way. Molecular bonds under the influence of high temperature begin to break down, which is accompanied by gas formation. The gases enter the condenser through the outlet tube, where, with a decrease in temperature, they begin to change their state of aggregation, turning into liquid. Another part of the gases (methane), the condensation of which requires more low temperatures And high blood pressure, continue to move through the connecting tubes, enter the water seal container, float up in the form of bubbles and move further, burn in the furnace, thereby helping to maintain the combustion temperature. The resulting liquid is synthetic oil. To purify it, they use a distillation cube, which is an exact copy of the coil of a moonshine still. For safety reasons, distillation is best carried out on electric stoves, avoiding open fire, maintaining a temperature of about 200 ° C.

Video: Low power pyrolysis plant

Handicraft technology

Photo gallery: Examples of products made from plastic bottles

Greenhouse made from plastic bottles Bottle fence DIY unsinkable boat made from waste Mosaic canopy

DIY solar water heater

Finally, we offer enough simple diagram solar water heater, which will supply hot water to the average family of four living in a private house.

To assemble it, you will need about 30 plastic bottles, preferably dark colors and the same volume (1.5 l or 2 l) and cleared of labels, a black rubber hose for watering 2 cm in diameter (16 meters long ) or plastic pipes for hot water of the same diameter, tools, polystyrene foam, foil, black paint (a regular can will do), an 80–100 liter barrel, eight “T” adapters, two elbows, a roll of Teflon and two ball valves 2 cm in diameter.

A simple scheme of a solar water heater using PET containers

We remove the corks from the bottles, and make holes in the bottom similar to the diameter of the neck. You can simply burn them with a melted knife or nail. We string the bottles onto a hose or pipe at the rate of 5-6 containers per row. We make 5-6 rows with bottles. We put this entire battery in a box made of lightweight materials (for example, plywood), which we paint black and insulate with foam plastic. In the box, hoses or pipes are connected to T-shaped adapters.

We also insulate a storage tank of 80–100 liters, place it above the collector to create circulation and connect it with pipes to the heat exchanger.

About the author Denis Polyanin

I don’t know about you, but in our city and surrounding areas a year ago there was serious problem- there were empty plastic bottles, cups, etc. lying everywhere. What especially bothered me was that all the surrounding forests with picnic areas were essentially turned into plastic garbage bins - it was disgusting to go out into nature.

When I was really fed up, I rummaged through the directory and found a company called “Plastik” in the region. I called and asked if they needed plastic recyclables. “It’s necessary,” they answer. “Then why don’t you collect the plastic that’s lying around under your feet?” “So you collect it, deliver it, we’ll buy it,” they answered there, as if in jest.

Okay, I go to the housing office, negotiate with the boss (for whom, as it turned out, the garbage in the form of plastic scattered everywhere was a terrible meningitis and a constant “sticking from above”), he gives the craftsman and the material. We cook the cage: the frame is a square, the walls are thin steel wire. on top - the same wire, but with cells bigger size– bottles are thrown there, etc. We paint the cage and place it near the trash can in a “passage” place near the school. To start, we throw in a couple of plastic bottles.

I arrive in the evening... In general, the effect exceeded all expectations. Not only is the 2 m high container cage filled to the brim, but there are also a lot of bottles around (as it turned out later, the younger students were playing “basketball” and cleaned up all the surroundings of the school, especially the sports ground!). When the housing officer saw this, he almost fell.

The very next day he reported about this “phenomenon” to the city council, where on the same day they gave the green light to a new line of business. Now plastic containers are placed near all garbage bins. They fill up on average within a week, and in crowded places - within 2-3 days. The city has clearly become cleaner. Now it’s the turn of the surroundings.

The essence of the phenomenon, in my opinion, is this. Initially the cells were “transparent”. But when there were a lot of cells, the problem of loading the contents arose. To prevent this process from taking up extra time, synthetic bags began to be inserted into the cells. So here it is. The cages with bags filled very slowly, and the “transparent” one next to them filled very quickly. When this pattern was noticed, the bags were removed. That is, people see something empty and subconsciously try to fill it - apparently, this gives them some kind of inner satisfaction.

Another problem is how to export this “good”? It is light, but very voluminous! The solution is simple - a container receiver with a thermal press is installed on an ordinary bead. Now one bead is enough for the whole city - a full container is recycled into a small cube in 5-6 minutes. just in time for the bus to reach the next garbage bin.

This is the idea - cleanliness and money at the same time. Of course, the idea is not for home business, but even one enterprising person can cover a city where this has not yet been implemented. I would like to note that in our city this person was not me - the idea was “intercepted”, but I don’t regret it - everything around me has become cleaner.

N.F. I scoured the Internet and found information that large processors of plastic containers can buy it at a price of 1-10 rubles per kilogram (depending on color and purity) - uni-pet.ru/pokupka_othodov_pet.

Here is another useful link for those who are planning to organize a similar business in Russia - greenmob.ru/ideas/169 (there, in the discussion of the topic “Buying recyclable materials”, the coordinates of processing plants in Moscow are given, and also attached is a map of collection points for recyclable materials in some Russian cities-greenmob.ru/services/maps?city=4400).