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Plastics

Plastics recycling plant

Rigid HDPE and PP scrap sorted, washed and pelletised into granules moulders can use in place of virgin resin.

Discuss this plantWhat the report covers

Mechanical recycling turns used plastic back into raw material without changing its chemistry. The plant sorts rigid HDPE and PP by polymer and colour, grinds and hot-washes it, separates it from PET and PVC in float-sink tanks, dries the flakes and extrudes them through vacuum vents and a melt filter into granules. A PET bottle-to-flake line and food-grade PET are assessed as variants; the case changes with the spread between scrap and granule prices.

Feed
Baled rigid HDPE and PP: bottles, cans, crates, buckets, caps and household containers from aggregators, industrial units and bulk generators.
Capacity modelled
6,000 to 24,000 tonnes of scrap a year; the reference plant is 12,000 TPA.

Products and buyers

  • Recycled HDPE granules

    Non-pressure pipes, blow-moulded non-food containers, crates

  • Recycled PP granules

    Furniture, automotive and appliance parts, woven sacks

  • Sorted rejects

    PET to PET recyclers; the rest to cement-kiln co-processing

Rigid plastic packaging must carry 30% recycled content in 2025-26, rising to 60% from 2028-29, and recycled HDPE and PP may not be used in food contact. Source: Plastic Waste Management Rules and amendments; FSSAI regulations

02Process

How the plant works.

INRigid HDPE and PP scrap
  1. 01Receiving and sorting
  2. 02Shredding and NIR sorting
  3. 03Wet grinding and hot washing
  4. 04Float-sink separation
  5. 05Drying and sifting
  6. 06Extrusion with melt filtration
  7. 07Pelletising and blending
  • OUTRecycled HDPE granules
  • OUTRecycled PP granules
  • OUTSorted rejects
Fig. 01 · Plastics recycling process flow · 7 stages

03Rules

What shapes the plant.

  • Orange category under CPCB's 2025 list for processing into flakes and granules; consent to establish and operate from the state board.
  • Registration as a plastic waste processor on the CPCB EPR portal, audited before any certificate is issued.
  • Imports of plastic waste have been prohibited since 2019, so all feed is domestic.
  • Wash water is reused; where the board requires zero liquid discharge the treatment cost rises.

04Viability

What decides whether it pays.

  1. 01The spread between delivered scrap and granule prices, which moves with virgin resin.
  2. 02Washing and filtration quality: it is what separates a granule buyer from a scrap buyer.
  3. 03Sorting discipline: HDPE and PP both float, so they must be separated before grinding.
  4. 04Offtake agreements with converters who need documented recycled content.

05The report

What the plastics recycling report covers.

A model-plant report exists for this plant type. A site-specific version replaces its assumptions with your feed, prices, quotes and location, and is written to be taken to a lender.

Request a site-specific report
  1. Executive summaryThe plant at a glance: capacity, products, project cost, returns and the decision it supports.
  2. Market and regulationFeed availability, buyers and prices, the rules that create or restrict demand.
  3. Site, capacity and productsLocation logic, plant size, product mix and specifications buyers will accept.
  4. Process and technologyThe route chosen and why, with a process flow and material balance.
  5. Machinery and utilitiesEquipment list with ratings and quantities, power, water, fuel and manpower.
  6. Environment and approvalsPollution-board category, emissions and effluent controls, licences and EPR registration.
  7. Capital and operating costBuilt bottom-up: land, civil, machinery, electricals, pollution control, pre-operative costs.
  8. Financials and sensitivityFive-year P&L, project financing, debt service, payback, and what moves the result.
  9. Risks and open questionsWhat must be confirmed with quotes, buyers and the regulator before money is committed.

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