Valuable Plastics

From rigid plastic to high-quality raw material

At Renewi, we sort and recycle rigid plastics with precision. The material is first manually sorted in a sorting cabin, where larger and easily identifiable plastics are separated. The remaining material is then reduced in size and purified in our shredder, grinding, and washing line. Using float-sink tanks, we separate lighter plastics, such as PP and PE, from heavier materials. The end product — high-quality regrind — is sold to extruders that use it to create new products. Through these processes, we ensure the maximum reuse of rigid plastics and contribute to a circular economy.

High-quality plastic is turned into regranulate. The plastic is fed from above into an extruder, where friction, heat, and pressure make the material liquid. During the extrusion process, the properties of the final regranulate can be determined — such as color, scratch resistance, and flame retardant characteristics. A screw presses the molten plastic through a filter and then through a sieve with small holes. This creates spaghetti-like strands, which are cooled and chopped into small, uniform pieces: the regranulate.

Would you like to properly and sustainably dispose of rigid plastics such as garden chairs made of PP or items made of PVC? With Renewi's collection solutions, you can ensure that these plastics are collected and recycled in the right way.

Download the sorting guide