trash bins

Shredding trash bins and drums

Recycling plastic

Large plastic items like drums and trash cans often become unusable over time due to wear and tear. Instead of being discarded as bulky waste, these items can be recycled into valuable raw materials. Shredding is the first step in this process, reducing their size and making them easier to handle. This approach not only minimizes waste but also contributes to a more sustainable use of resources.

Drums and canisters

HDPE drums and canisters are commonly used as disposable containers for bulk handling, transportation and storage of liquids, semi-solids and pastes. They are typically made of polyethylene (PE) or high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and are available with or without lids and come in a range of sizes.

blue drum canisters

Rigid plastic bins

Blue drums

trial at WUS

Over time, these containers degrade and become unusable, taking up significant space and posing challenges for disposal. However, this valuable plastic can be reused and recycled into new products. Shredding them is an effective solution to multiple problems: it reduces waste volume, simplifies transportation to recycling facilities, and prepares the material for further processing.

Shredding HDPE drums

HDPE barrels and lumps shredding with a WEIMA WLK 20 Super Jumbo

WLK 20 Super Jumbo

Super Jumbo

The WLK Jumbo and Super Jumbo shredders, also known as S5 and S7 series, are for the most extreme of applications. This machine line boasts stability, functionality, consistent throughput, and availability. A variety of sizes and options guarantees customer-specific solutions for almost all applications. This line of machines boasts extremely robust construction and almost endless capabilities for the shredding of scrap. There are over 80 optional features, making this a customizable shredding solution for almost any application.

WLK Jumbo / Super Jumbo

S7 shredder from WEIMA

WEIMA S7 single-shaft shredder

Trash cans

Building on the concept of recycling large plastic items like drums, old trash cans present a similar opportunity for sustainable waste management. Over time, trash cans can crack, warp, or break, making them unsuitable for use. Instead of discarding them as bulky waste, these items can be seen as a valuable resource.

By shredding trash cans, their size is drastically reduced, making them easier to store and transport. This shredded material can then enter the recycling chain, where it is cleaned, processed, and repurposed into high-quality recycled plastic. Recycling trash cans not only helps manage waste but also reduces the demand for virgin plastic, supporting a circular economy and minimizing environmental impact.

trash bins being shredded in a weima shredder

The PowerLine Series

The PowerLine series is a universally applicable machine. Variable equipment and sizes allow exact adaptation to your special requirements. The counter blades are user-friendly adjustable from the outside and protected by an additional cover plate. Combined with a swing-ram, this machine allows for consistent shredding operations.

PowerLine shredders

WEIMA PowerLine shredder

Shredding HDPE waste bins

A WEIMA PowerLine 2500 shreds rigid post-consumer plastics HDPE waste bins at VEOLIA in Sweden

This is where the cycle begins. At the Swedish company Veolia Recycling Plastics Sweden AB, waste bins, HDPE pipes and other contaminated hard plastic waste are turned into new raw material with the help of a WEIMA PowerLine 2500 shredder and downstream wash line.

Stacked containers standing on the Dansk Emballage premises in Denmark
Shredding IBC totes, drums and canisters

Read more about recycling IBC totes

IBC shredding and recycling