Want to learn more about plastic regrind and how it can benefit your production? In this blog, we explain what plastic regrind Is and why it’s an important tool for achieving consistent colour, performance, and sustainability in plastics.
Do any children nowadays build model planes using Airfix kits? It seems unlikely in a world of insta-face-tick-roblo-x-craft, but for me as a child this was my first introduction to the sprue.
To build your plane, you first had to snip out all* the model parts from the framework, and then once you had all the parts free, you simply threw away the unneeded plastic skeleton. This framework wasn’t there just for novel presentation, it was the method used in the injection moulding tool to get the molten plastic to the cavities that formed the fuselage or wings. In the plastics industry these parts are called sprues, and although we now have hot runner technology which reduces the waste moulded, it is still not uncommon to find parts moulded with sprues.
As a moulder, the amount of plastic wasted forming sprues was not insignificant, so it made sense to grind up the sprues as well as any defective mouldings, and reuse them to make more parts. What is plastic regrind in simple terms? It's recycled plastic material that's been ground down from waste products and manufacturing offcuts, giving old plastics a valuable second life. It wasn't long before this reused grinded up plastic became known as plastic regrind.
The plastic regrind process begins right on the factory floor. Moulders still use their own plastic regrind back in their process where possible, but for some applications this is not possible due to strength and surface finish requirements. Instead, a moulder can sell their scrap plastic to a processor who will granulate the scrap and sell it as plastic regrind for further processing. These processors also buy other plastic scrap from end of life commercial products, such as crates and specialised packaging to granulate into plastic regrind.
The plastic regrind process typically involves:
It’s not always economical to sort and segregate plastic scrap by colour, as there is a ceiling to how much the market is prepared to pay for plastic regrind. Instead, the majority of regrind will be turned black during processing by adding black masterbatch. As regrind is often a mix of various colours, the plastics industry has evolved its own name for this ‘colour’: jazz!
This practical approach to the plastic regrind process demonstrates how the industry has adapted to make recycling both economically viable and environmentally beneficial. What is plastic regrind's biggest advantage? It offers manufacturers a cost-effective alternative to virgin materials while supporting circular economy principles.
Understanding what is plastic regrind reveals its crucial role in circular manufacturing. By converting plastic waste into usable material through the plastic regrind process, manufacturers reduce their environmental impact while maintaining cost-effective production methods. This sustainable practice helps divert plastic waste from landfills and reduces the demand for virgin plastic materials.
The modern plastic regrind process has evolved significantly, with processors now able to recompound plastic regrind into high-quality pellets that perform almost as well as virgin plastics in many applications. This makes reprocessed materials from plastic regrind an increasingly attractive option for cost-conscious and environmentally aware manufacturers.
Now that you understand what is plastic regrind and its role in sustainable manufacturing, are you looking for reliable recycled material suppliers? At Naphtha Plastics, we've been supplying high-quality recycled materials for over 40 years, serving both processors who work with plastic regrind and manufacturers who prefer reprocessed pellets. Our experienced team can help you with:
Ready to explore sustainable recycled material options? Contact us today to discuss how our plastic regrind and reprocessed material solutions can support your sustainability goals.
*Actually, you really don’t want to snip out all the parts first, because the part identification numbers are moulded into the adjacent sprue. If you snip out all the parts it can be challenging to work out which part is which.
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