How we Recycle Plastics in our Shop

Each year, we produce thousands of pounds of plastic parts, and with them, hundreds of pounds of waste. Nearly every part produced comes with a runner attached that can weigh up to 30% of the shot weight. As a result, there is plenty of in-house recycling that goes on.

To begin with, it is important to note that certain standards must be kept in order for the recycling to be effective. At Complete Plastics, we do not recycle post-consumer plastic material. This means that we only recycle rejected parts and runners attached to the parts, not other plastic waste that has already been used for another purpose. When we reuse runners and reject parts, we are careful to ensure that they are as clean as possible before grinding them up. Those that have been on the floor or exposed to grease and grime are taken to the landfill. As part of our effort to keep potential recyclable material clean, we have installed robot arms on our injection molding machines, which pick the runners out of the newly minted parts and put them directly into the granulator.

The granulators take the excess plastic and grind it down into tiny pellets that can be put straight into the hopper. In order to preserve the integrity of the plastic used in the production of new parts, the recycled plastic must be mixed with large quantities of virgin plastic. This ensures that the strength, finish, color, and other associated properties stay intact and aren't diminished by the recycled material. Practically speaking, this means the ratio of regrind to virgin is about 25:75 or lower. Because we want customers to be happy with the product, prior to production, we ask for the preferred ratio.

Another important aspect of recycling is that regrind is only used in appropriate products. For products that will be used in food, such as water bottles or food storage containers, it is safer not to reuse materials.

We at Complete Plastics are proud to recycle the excess materials. Call today at 435-563-0284 for a quote!