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Home | Shredding and recycling HDPE pipes

HDPE Pipe Shredding for Sustainable Plastic Pipe Recycling

WEIMA HDPE shredders enable efficient plastic pipe recycling – ideal for pipe producers and recyclers
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HDPE pipe, regrind, granulate, regranulate
Wheel loader loads huge pipe cuttings into the WEIMA WLK Super Jumbo single-shaft shredder
1.500 mm long plastic pipe is shredded with WEIMA shredder
A hand with crushed black flakes
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HDPE plastic pipes are extremely durable and are used worldwide for water supply, gas pipelines, and cable protection. However, large volumes of HDPE pipe waste are generated both during production and after use. For sustainable recycling, professional shredding is essential. With powerful shredders from WEIMA, HDPE pipes are efficiently reduced to manageable pieces. This allows the material to be easily cleaned, recycled, and reprocessed into high-quality regranulate – making an important contribution to the circular economy and reducing plastic waste.

Customer applications: Plastic pipe shredding with WEIMA

Practical examples of successful shredding with WEIMA shredders
An excavator fills the WEIMA Shredder PowerLine 2500
Plastic pipe shredding
HDPE Pipe shredding with a WEIMA PowerLine 2500 @ Remondis Röstånga, Sweden
A WEIMA PowerLine 2500 single-shaft shredder shreds different types of HDPE pipes at a recycling plant of Remondis in Röstånga, Sweden.
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Plastic pipe shredding
WEIMA shredder S7.30 shreds huge PE pipes
WEIMA S7.30 shredder shreds big PE pipes in a few seconds.
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WEIMA WLK 1500 Shredder at Palaplast
Plastic pipe shredding
Plastic Pipes HDPE shredding with a WEIMA WLK 1000 & WLK 1500 at Palaplast
A WEIMA WLK 1000 & WLK 1500 shreds plastic pipes for watering at Palaplast in Thessaloniki.
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WEIMA CSO Kay trained in front of a glazed office
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WEIMA portfolio for shredding plastic pipes made of HDPE, PP, PE and PVC

The right machine for every material
WEIMA WLK 1500 yksiakselinen murskain
Single-shaft shredder
WLK Series
Machines in the WLK series are ideally equipped for a wide range of plastics tasks. The machine design is characterized in particular by its durability and robustness. Thanks to the conveyor belt cut-out, all machines can be seamlessly integrated into any production line. They also offer a wide range of options in terms of drive and cutting geometry.
To the machine
Single-shaft shredder
W5 series
With rotor lengths of 1,400 to 2,200 mm, the shredders in the W5 series shred large-volume plastic tanks and plastic garbage cans with ease. The hydraulically upward pivoting screen basket and the inspection flap allow foreign objects to be removed quickly and facilitate maintenance. Large quantities of plastic flakes can be removed via the wide conveyor belt cut-out.
To the machine
Single-shaft shredder
S7 series
With their extremely sturdy design and large rotor diameters of up to 700 mm, shredders from the S7 series offer almost unlimited application possibilities for shredding plastic waste. They are up to any challenge and can be equipped with a high-torque hydraulic drive.
To the machine
Single-shaft shredder
W8 PowerLine series
The machines in the PowerLine series can be used universally. Variable equipment and sizes enable precise adaptation to your specific requirements. The counter knives are user-friendly adjustable from the outside and protected by an additional cover plate.
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Heavy duty machine design against increased wear

WEIMA shredders for processing highly abrasive materials can be protected with various options to reduce wear and thus downtime and maintenance costs. The thick walls of the machine frame make WEIMA shredders particularly robust.

Learn more about wear protection

Vautid jacket on a rotor

WEIMA rotor with Vautid protection

Vautid weld on for shredder rotor

Vautid weld-on for shredder rotor

Concha Vautid no rotor PowerLine

Proteção contra o desgaste do rotor Vautid

Casco do rotor Vautid

Revestimento de rotor Vautid

ANteção antidesgaste com revestimento de tinta

WEIMA WKS rotor concha vácuo

Proteção contra o desgaste do revestimento do rotor

Revestimento Vautid para pré-triturador

Example applications from industrial plastic pipe manufacturing

PE plastic pipes with 800 mm diameter
Shredding plastic pipes with very big walll thickness
2.5 diameter pipe cuttings are loaded into the WEIMA shredder
Plastic flakes form HDPE pipe shredding
Pipe line Polyethylene pipe in the shredder
HDPE pipes are shipped and stored on spirals before recycling
Fiberglass reinforced pipes can be shredded with WEIMA shredders
Granulated HDPE pipes after shredding
Multicolored PE-HD pipe cuttings are stacked for storage
HDPE pipes for sewage systems
Plastic waste from pipe ends
Pipe lines are extruded directly into the open sea at Pipelife, Norway
Production waste of PE-HD pipes for in-house recycling
Pipeline pipes are transported with wheel loader
Pipe cuttings are stored stacked before the recycling process
Long PE-HD plastic pipes are used during construction
Shredding of channel ducts from HDPE
Pipe with insulation before recycling
Shredding of insulated pipes of various sizes
Pipelife, Norway, stores pipes outside
Pipelife extrudes kilometers of pipelines straight into the ocean
Huge pipe lines are extruded straight into the sea
Polyvinyl chloride pipes are shredded with WEIMA shredder
Polyvinyl chloride plastic pipe storage
Polyvinyl chloride pipes are stored stacked
Old pipes with small diameters are stored stacked
Recycling of old PE-HD pipes
Huge shredded piece of Polypropylene pipe
Plastic flakes from shredding plastic pipes
Polyvinyl chloride pipes are loaded into the WEIMA shredder
WEIMA V-rotor shreds PE-HD pipe cuttings without trouble
Granules from shredding high-density polyethylene, polypropylene and polyvinyl chloride pipes
WEIMA shredder shreds thick-walled PE pipes
Recycling of disposed HDPE pipes
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Recycling plastic pipes made of HDPE, PP, PE and PVC

The most important facts at a glance
Delivery of HDPE pipes for the recycling process
Welding plastic pipes from PE-HD
Welding plastic pipes
Versatile plastic pipe shredding: efficiently recycle PE, PP, PVC and more
The plastic polyethylene (PE) is processed in various degrees of density - from PE-LD (low density) to PE-MD (medium density) to particularly robust PE-HD (HDPE). In addition to polyethylene, WEIMA also shreds other thermoplastics such as polypropylene (PP) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Thermoplastics are characterized by their malleability when heat is applied and can therefore be welded without any problems. Thermoplastic waste and production scrap can also be processed into high-quality recycled granulate in an energy-saving way. This significantly reduces the use of fossil raw materials for the production of new plastics.
Large extrusion machine for pipes
Detailed view of the extrusion of plastic pipes
HDPE plastic pipes - properties and Production
HDPE plastic pipes are lightweight, stable, flexible and extremely resistant to chemical corrosion. They can withstand high pressures and are ideal for water pipes, gas transportation and cable protection. Compared to metal pipes, however, they have a lower temperature resistance. For HDPE pipe production, the granulate obtained by plastic pipe shredding is used. This is melted in a single or twin-screw extruder and formed into an endless pipe under constant pressure. After cooling, the pipe can be flexibly cut to the desired length. Thanks to their durable thermoplastic properties, HDPE pipes can be used for decades and can be efficiently recycled at the end of their life cycle.

Source: Kunststoffrohrverband e.V.
Screen open on WEIMA plastic shredder
Combination of WEIMA shredder and granulator for plastic pipe recycling
Small diameter pipes are shredded with WEIMA shredder
Where do HDPE raw waste and old pipes accumulate?
Plastic pipes are central components of modern infrastructure. Whether energy supply, logistics or telecommunications - little works without HDPE pipes. The demand for new installation and replacement is high. Companies such as PIPELIFE, UPONOR and NEPROPLAST are among the world's leading producers.
However, as production increases, so does the proportion of rejects and old pipes. Both material streams are valuable resources that can be reused through HDPE recycling. This keeps the plastic in the resource cycle in the long term. The extrusion process in particular regularly produces HDPE pipe waste - for example, when the system is started up in the form of large start-up lumps, also known as start-up cakes or start-up lumps. It also happens that pipe segments or pipe spools do not meet the quality specifications and are therefore recycled directly in the plant by plastic pipe shredding.
More about shredding of plastic lumps
Comparison of human inside huge pipline cutting
Plastic flakes from shredding plastic pipes
Pipe recycling and reuse in the plastic pipe cycle
Material recycling
After used plastic pipes have been collected, sorted and cleaned, high-performance shredders grind the material into homogeneous regrind. This can be processed into high-quality regranulate in extrusion plants - the basis for the production of new pipes from recycled plastic within the in-house recycling process.

Raw material processing
In contrast to material recycling, the aim of raw material processing is to break down plastics back into their chemical starting materials. These raw materials are then used to produce new polymers. However, as the fractions are usually not completely homogeneous, this can lead to a loss of quality in the production of exact formulations.
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Did you know?
In 2017, nearly 800,000 tons of plastic pipe systems were produced in Germany.

Source: Statista

Free material tests in the WEIMA technical center
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Success stories

Plastic pipe recycling with WEIMA
An excavator fills the WEIMA Shredder PowerLine 2500
October 28, 2024

Double WEIMA power at Remondis in Sweden

At the Remondis site in Röstanga, Sweden, HDPE pipes and other plastic waste from production are transformed into new raw materials using a WEIMA PowerLine 2500 shredder and a subsequent washing plant. Just 50 km away, a WEIMA S7.20 single-shaft shredder reduces large and heavy PE chunks in a Remondis recycling plant in Staffanstorp.

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Rohrzerkleinerung Shredder Pipelife
November 28, 2017

PE-Recycling at its very best

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Frequently Asked Questions about HDPE pipe Shredding

Everything you need to know about safely and efficiently shredding HDPE pipes.
Can we feed long pipe sections or coils without pre-cutting?

In many cases, yes — with the right hopper design and feeding method. Single-shaft shredders pull in the material with a rotor and counter-knives, while large hoppers handle long sections and nested pipe coils. WEIMA WLK 1000 and WLK 1500 systems at Palaplast, as well as PowerLine 2500 lines in Sweden, demonstrate that even long HDPE pipes can be processed without cutting.

Can your shredder handle large-diameter HDPE pipes?

Yes. Single-shaft shredders like the WEIMA PowerLine 2500 are engineered for thick-walled HDPE pipes, bulky extrusion scrap, and heavy start-up lumps. The system uses a high-mass rotor, robust wear protection, and oversized hoppers that reliably grip long sections and irregular shapes. Knife geometry, screen size, and drive options can be customised to deliver a consistent cut across varying material types.

What happens to the shredded pipe after it leaves the shredder?

Typically, the shredded material is cleaned, then fed into an extruder to produce high-quality regranulate. The resulting regranulate can be blended back into pipe production alongside virgin material. This is the established mechanical recycling route for PE and PP pipe systems.

We run HDPE today. Can the same shredder also process PP, PE, or PVC pipes?

Yes. The same WEIMA shredder platform can process HDPE, PP, PE, and PVC with the appropriate machine configuration. If you run filled, mineral-reinforced, or abrasive pipes, adding wear liners and hardened components reduces maintenance and extends machine life.

How clean should our pipe scrap be before shredding?

Cleaner material improves output quality, but typical post-industrial scrap can usually be processed without pre-cleaning. Post-consumer pipes benefit from sorting and washing to remove metal parts, soil, and stones that could damage the cutting chamber. After basic cleaning, WEIMA shredders produce homogeneous regrind suitable for extrusion into new pipes. This ensures consistent regranulate and protects downstream equipment.

What maintenance should we plan for a shredder that processes pipes?

Set a routine that includes regular knife inspections, scheduled knife rotations or replacements, and checks on wear liners in high-impact zones. Inspect screens for blockage or fatigue and keep lubrication schedules consistent. Maintain good housekeeping around the machine to avoid slip hazards and ensure safe operation. Keeping essential wear parts in stock helps minimise downtime and ensures continuous, reliable shredding performance.