Four Reasons to Start Recycling In-House Plastic Waste

What is In-House Plastic Waste Recycling?

First, let’s talk about post-industrial recycling (PIR). This refers to the process of reprocessing plastic waste generated during the production of plastic products. When this recycling process takes place within the same manufacturing facility, it’s known as in-house recycling.

Types of Plastics for In-House Recycling

• PE plastic film on recycling machines

• Examples of post-industrial materials that can be recycled within the factory include plastic waste and defective materials generated during production. Common materials for in-house recycling are T-shirt bag scraps, HDPE/LDPE film and bag remnants, printed and unprinted plastic films, draw tapes, woven fabrics, blow molding waste, and injection molding waste.

Why Should Plastic Manufacturers Start Recycling In-House?

Many plastic manufacturers are already recycling production waste within their own facilities, reusing recycled pellets for production or selling them on the market. Given the global increase in polymer prices and resource shortages, manufacturers have realized that incorporating more recycled materials into production can not only reduce their carbon footprint but also cut costs.

Advantages of In-House Recycling

1. Cut Costs and Save Time

When manufacturers outsource their recycling to third parties, they face several preliminary steps, such as sorting valuable waste, storing it until they have enough, and transporting it to recycling facilities. Once the recycling process is complete, the pellets usually need to be transported back to the manufacturer’s plant. Additionally, manufacturers have to pay for these recycling services.

In-house recycling eliminates many of these steps, saving both time and money by avoiding logistics and outsourcing fees. It also gives manufacturers the flexibility to optimize their production and recycling processes, minimizing storage time and space.

2. Promote a Circular Economy

Using more recycled materials in products can lower production costs, reduce the carbon footprint, and minimize the use of raw materials. This is particularly important for manufacturers of films and bags that must comply with government regulations to increase recycled material content to sell in markets like Europe and the U.S. For these manufacturers, using their own waste to create post-industrial recycled material is one of the most efficient and cost-effective ways to obtain recycled resin.

3. Better Control Over Recycled Materials

To maximize recycling efficiency and achieve consistent quality, it is crucial to reprocess materials on stable recycling machines. Even when materials are made of the same polymer, their properties can vary, making it hard to distinguish without advanced tools.

By recycling in-house, manufacturers have complete knowledge of their material’s characteristics. This ensures that 100% of the recycled material, with consistent properties, can be directly reused on the production line, helping maintain strict quality control over the final products.

4. Boost Profitability

With rising polymer prices and increasing costs of raw materials, recycled resin is more valuable than ever. Even if manufacturers do not use 100% of their recycled pellets, they can sell the excess on the market, converting production waste into economic benefits. Legal and industry standards encourage the use of recycled content, creating a growing demand for recycled materials locally and globally. Applications such as injection molding, extrusion, and blow molding are ideal for using recycled pellets, which are often utilized to produce laundry detergent bottles, battery cases, broom fibers, pipes, furniture, toys, benches, recycling containers, and trash bins.