Recycling PVC Plastic Waste

There are a number of operations in the UK making products out of recycled mixed plastics [RMP] and a google search will yield their contact details.

Several US railroads are using RMP-based materials for ties/sleepers as a substitute for the traditional timber one. Google "Duratie" (usual disclaimer) for further information.

Yes PVC is one of those plastics that can be recycled. What value it has is how clean it is. Approach one of your local recycling companies. We recycle a lot of PVC here. Most of it's clean stubs of extrusions. Cuttings from our saws is waste. So depends on what you are talking about by waste.

Essentially aside from the machining lubricant the waste is free of other contaminants. The waste is "swarf" from the machining process.

I have googled locally and there is reprocessing/recycling of the material programs availble but not in the state (of Oz)I'm in. Though I suspect if we bailed it for transport it could be viable. If not as a revenue earner at least not a "cost" or issue for disposal.

I have half expected Lyn to chide me for not googling first..

i was reading something in Exhaust notes about a man who had used recycled metal tubing and invented a new metal, he called flash bain or something like that.

I know they make a strong plastic lumber out of plastic milk cartons ,It would probably be easy to look up online under recycling news or under Green products.

significant amount of space ?

How much is that in real terms?

How often would the dumpster be full?

Are there other companies with the same issue?

I'm just thinking 'strength in numbers' sort of thing. The recyclers should be happy although PVC is considered a "dirty" word in the industry, _{for some} as far as I have heard.

Good luck, Ky.

Try calling PVC pipe manufacturers. I worked with one in Indiana that ground up the scrap pieces and fed them back through the system. Your "waste" would be a great resource for them and could work out as $$ for both companies. Note: They can only mix a certain percentage into the pipe and still meet the standards.

Use a surfactant/ oil removal detergent to get rid of the oil residues from the PVC granules.

Or you can rinse the PVC with soaking in dilute detergent solution, get the washed PVC granules separated for drying.

Some amount of coagulants added to the PVC, OIL mixture wash water can also separate oil from PVC granules.

Now you got the PVC granules or chippings for resale into container manufacture or in the cable industry.

Several items to consider

a) volume of material, and basis consistency - if the material is regularly available, any number of companies want to have a 'stream of ' recyclable materials - RPVC included. That having been said, a regular supply of known volume is needed to set up a recurring 'value stream' for regular income

b) work on size reduction - swarf can be a variety of thicknesses and lengths - you may want to do some size reduction through a small conventional grinder to get the aspect ratio of the material down into a fairly repeatable range so that it can feed

c) if the lubricant is 'water based' any number of wash and centrifical drying stations can be employed to 'clean up the materials

d) consider (if the volume warrants) working with some who has 'pulverization' capability - the smaller the aspect ratio (20 mesh or so is good for powder converters) the easier to hide any small remaining imperfections that get past screens.

just our two cents

Jim Wilson

http://skippyandbuzz.blogspot.com/2007/11/more-cutting-remarks.html