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Plastic Scrap Reimagined at EcoFib

EcoFib is a plastic recycler located in the Canadian city of Drummondville, which lies just outside of Montreal, Quebec. Currently, the company exclusively processes post-industrial plastic scrap, transforming it into plastic pellets that can be made into new products. This passion for plastic recycling can be felt throughout the company’s facility, as new lines are continuously added to expand its processing capabilities.

The recycling company’s most recent plastic recycling line utilizes a WEIMA W5.22 single-shaft shredder (formerly known as the WKS 2200) to transform post-industrial film scrap into pellets.

These pellets can be made into a variety of colors and are sold to nearby companies to be manufactured into new plastic products.

The WEIMA shredder, complete with a Bosch-Rexroth hydraulic drive, is the first stage of recycling this post-industrial film scrap. The material is loaded into the machine’s hopper via infeed conveyor. Because film is bulky and unruly, the shredder’s built-in swing ram technology keeps the material pressed against the rotor to maximize its shredding efficiency.

About the WEIMA W5.22

The post-industrial film that is processed with the WEIMA line is sourced primarily from the Greater Montreal area, with only about five percent of the film coming from further away. After the film is shredded, it is then sent to a Gamma Meccanica pelletizer for further processing. All in all, this recycling system can produce approximately ten million pounds of plastic pellets each year.

Post-industrial film strips

Plastic pellets are created from post-industrial film waste.

Re-pelletized post-industrial film can be made to meet specific color needs.

About EcoFib

01
QC
Drummondville
02
36
Employees
03
2008
Founded

The EcoFib Vision

As the Managing Director, Tony Dalete's goal when he established EcoFib was to find ways to recycle the various types of plastic that were not accepted at local recycling facilities. With the addition of the WEIMA shredder, this became possible.

“[Having been] in the recycling business since 1991, I’ve seen WEIMA [machines] in other plants over the years and knew that they were good shredders. With the acquisition of the WEIMA, we are now able to recycle all film, fiber, and woven plastics that we were not able to recycle in the past.”

- Tony Dalete, Managing Director of EcoFib

The WEIMA benefits

When asked about the most important features of the W5.22 shredder, Dalete told the WEIMA team that the hydraulic gearbox is especially helpful, because it allows the machine to be easily stopped and started when necessary. Dalete also mentioned the benefits of the zig-zag screen in front of the rotor, which shreds the material to a specified size for further processing. When it comes time to clean or maintain the machine, he acknowledged the doors to the cutting chamber. These doors provide safe and easy access for cleaning and maintenance when the machine is in lock-out/tag-out mode, thus minimizing down time and maximizing production.

The W5.22 access door to the cutting chamber makes cleaning and preventative maintenance more efficient.

The rotor in the W5.22 utilizes F+ rotor technology and is 2,200 mm wide. The F+ rotor is ideal for shredding film and fiber materials.

The touchscreen PLC control panel makes it easy to adjust and maintain machine settings.

A sustainable future

EcoFib prides itself in being able to come up with useful and unique products that can be made from recycled plastic. For example, discarded plastic shopping bags have been made into non-slip, ridged flooring strips that can be used in agricultural settings for cattle. Because the area surrounding the plant is very agricultural, there is a huge need in the Drummondville area for a product like this. With a bit of creativity, recycled plastic can be transformed into something practical, useful, and long-lasting. Extending the life cycle of products that already exist is the name of the game.

Non-slip agricultural flooring is made from recycling plastic shopping bags.

Exercise flooring is made from reclaimed rubber from old tires and recycled plastic on a separate recycling line.

What's next for EcoFib?

In the true nature of sustainability, looking to the future is paramount. EcoFib is working to invest in an automatic screen changer for this shredder so it can begin processing post-consumer plastics as well as post-industrial scrap. More than that, the company looks forward to continuing to divert hard-to-recycle plastics from going to a landfill by finding creative uses for this material.

The team welcomes the opportunity to work with nearby companies that have non-traditional plastic waste streams to find ways to transform this material into useful and durable products, thus diverting it from a landfill and giving it a second life.

Download the full release here.

Contact

Marketing

WEIMA America, Inc.

3678 Centre Circle

Fort Mill, SC 29715

Tel. +1 (803)-802-7170

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