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Plastic Film Shredding: How to Recycle Film

WEIMA: Your Partner in Film Shredding and Recycling

What is film?

Plastic film is a versatile material used across various industries due to its durability, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness. Common types of plastic film include PE (both LDPE and HDPE), PP, PET, and PA, each offering unique properties that suit different applications. The demand for plastic film is high, yet it is rarely reused, leading to significant amounts of plastic film waste. This presents a challenge for companies, as managing and disposing of this waste efficiently becomes increasingly difficult, contributing to environmental concerns.

Types of Film:

  • PE (polyethylene)
  • LDPE (low-density polyethylene)
  • HDPE (high-density polyethylene)
  • PP (polypropylene)
  • BOPP (biaxially oriented polypropylene)
  • PET (polyester)
  • PA (polyamide) also known as nylon
  • PVC (polyvinyl chloride)
  • PC (polycarbonate)

Plastic films are used in a wide range of applications due to their unique properties. These films provide flexibility, durability, moisture resistance, and barrier protection, making them ideal for industries such as food packaging, medical supplies, agriculture, and electronics. Each film type is tailored to meet specific performance needs, offering solutions for strength, transparency, and environmental protection.

The Growing Problem of Film Waste

Plastic film waste presents a serious environmental challenge. Lightweight yet durable, materials such as agricultural films and packaging can clog recycling facilities and contribute to pollution. To better handle this issue, effective recycling solutions are crucial. At WEIMA, we offer a powerful solution: shredding, which is designed to streamline the processing of plastic film waste and promote sustainability.

The Key to Managing Film Waste...

WEIMA shredders are specifically engineered to handle the challenges of shredding plastic film efficiently. Equipped with robust, high-powered hydraulic systems, these machines deliver fast, reliable performance, even with the most demanding materials. The use of rotatable knives ensures precise and consistent cutting, making the shredding process both easy and effective.

An orange WEIMA W5.18 single-shaft shredder shreds LDPE film at RKW in Hoogstraten, Belgium

WEIMA W5.18 shredder shreds LDPE film at RKW in Hoogstraten

plastic production scrap from pool cover production

GeoBubble production plastic film cover waste before shredding

The shredded film remnants are transported onwards using a conveyor belt

The shredded film is transported onwards on a conveyor belt

Baled plastic film

View into the cutting room of a WEIMA plastic shredder that shreds transparent LDPE film with a rotor

View into the shredder during film shredding

...Shredding!

For plastic film, our F-rotor stands out from the rest. Precisely designed for film and fibers, it offers optimal performance for shredding any film scrap. This specialized rotor helps reduce clogging and ensures smooth operation, making it the ideal choice for industries dealing with large volumes of plastic film waste.

More about

Film Shredding and Recycling

  • LDPE film recycling
  • Agricultural film recycling
  • Post-industrial film recycling
  • BOPP film recycling
    • Film Shredding & Recycling

    Shredding of plastic film

    Customer cases
    Post-industrial film
    Film shredding at EcoFib
    A WEIMA W5.22 (WKS 2200) shredder starts the recycling process at EcoFib in Drummondville, Quebec. This company takes post-industrial film waste and transforms it into pellets that can be then then be made into new products.
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    LDPE Filim
    LDPE film recycling with at RKW in Hoogstraten Belgium
    RKW in Hoogstraten relies on a WEIMA W5.18 single-shaft shredder to efficiently process LDPE film. The shredded material is then further processed into high-quality granules using an extruder.
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    Film sorting
    Material Sorting with Pellenc ST America
    Plastic film waste often contains contaminants, making it less desirable for recycling. To address this, WEIMA America partnered with Pellenc ST America to pre-shred film scrap before their sorting process, significantly reducing the amount of contaminants and improving the efficiency of recycling.
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    WLK Series: Single-shaft shredders

    Our WLK series machines are specifically engineered for plastic applications. With their robust construction and large rotor diameters, these shredders provide exceptional versatility, making them ideal for efficiently processing plastic film waste. WEIMA shredders also come in a variety of sizes.

    Best sellers for plastic shredding

    The rotor of the WLK 10 is easily accessible.

    W5 series: Maintenance-friendly machines

    The W5 series (previously known as WKS) handles it all – from bulky items to tough fibers and films. Designed for proficiency, it includes a valuable inspection flap for easy maintenance access and a swing ram to ensure the best shredding performance.

    W5.18

    View inside WEIMA W5.18 shredder with rotor, ram, screen and drive

    WEIMA W5.18 shredder components overview

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    Shredding film isn’t just about reducing waste; it’s about unlocking value. By transforming plastic film into reusable materials, you can significantly reduce costs, improve your environmental impact, and potentially generate additional revenue. Shredding is the essential first step in the recycling process!

    Only at WEIMA

    Extremely robust machine design
    for the most difficult applications

    Easy maintenance
    for minimized downtimes

    Many drive options
    for maximum throughput

    Fast service
    for highest customer satisfaction

    All from one source:
    Machine, conveyor system, metal detection, support, spare and wear parts