Is pet collecting worth it as a business? How to open your pet and pvc waste recycling business

Recycling plastic bottles is extremely actual topic for our country. The number of produced PET containers is constantly increasing, and new enterprises for its disposal are practically not opened, despite the fact that recycled bottles are a valuable secondary raw material. As a result, huge dumps of plastic waste are formed.

Plastic bottles are plastic containers for storing various kinds of liquids.(milk, beer, vegetable oils, motor oils, medicines, water, soft drinks, etc.). Plastic bottles have a number of advantages over glass containers. These advantages determine such a wide distribution in modern world plastic containers.

In the manufacture of plastic bottles, various raw materials are used, depending on the type of which a certain marking is applied to the surface of the container. So, plastic containers are made from:

• HDPE, LDPE - high and low density polyethylene, respectively;
• PET - polyethylene terephthalate;
• PVC - polyvinyl chloride;
• PP - polypropylene;
• PS - polystyrene;
• other polymers.

Since polyethylene terephthalate is most often used in the production of beverage containers, further in the article we will mainly consider PET waste and the processing of PET bottles.

In Russia, a technical condition has been developed, according to which all PET waste is sorted into several main groups by color: dark-colored waste (brown, black), blue and green waste, transparent and uncolored waste (yellow, cream, etc. colors) .

Note! In our country, several hundred thousand tons of PET waste are generated annually, of which plastic bottles account for the most part.

Used PET bottles belong to the hazard class 5 waste (non-hazardous), but this does not mean that such containers can be thrown into landfills in large quantities without harm to environment. About the impact on the nature of plastic waste below in this article.

Harm to the environment

The main environmental damage caused by plastic bottles is that plastic products do not rot (biologically decompose), they can lie in landfills for 100, 500 or even more years. At the same time, due to many other factors (low production cost, lightness of the material, etc.), a huge number of plastic bottles are produced today. After use, the containers become waste, the landfills with which occupy such large areas that their contours are visible even from space.

In the modern world, scientists are trying to solve this difficult environmental problem by obtaining new biodegradable packaging. However, the introduction of the latest technologies in plastic bottle factories is, unfortunately, beyond the reach of most enterprises.

PET bottle recycling process

Disposal of plastic bottles involves their recycling in order to reuse or the manufacture of other materials. The technology is not complex.

Recycling of PET bottles is carried out in stages. Let's consider each of the stages in more detail.

1. Collection and sorting of bottles. Probably the easiest step in the whole process. The collection of raw materials is carried out by installing separate tanks for plastic bottles in the yards and opening plastic collection points around the city. They also collect the necessary containers at landfills.
2. Bottle crushing. At this stage, such a processing device as a crusher is needed. The collected sorted bottles are placed in this plant, where they are crushed, resulting in flakes of a certain size, called PET flex. The resulting mass is washed, while using caustic soda. Then carry out the separation from the washed mass of paper stickers in a special centrifuge. Polypropylene labels and lids are removed by flotation. After that, the flex is re-washed with plain water and transferred to a dryer, in which streams of heated air masses drying is carried out. The dried flex is unloaded and packaged. Such material may be sold. However, the process after the grinding stage can also follow a different technology.
3. Agglomeration. Crushed bottles are affected high temperatures, thus forming small sintered lumps. Such agglomerates, like flex, can be put up for sale, but further processing can also be done - granulation.
4. Granulation. This stage is needed to improve the purity and quality of raw materials, and, consequently, to increase its cost. This stage is also called "briquetting". The crushed mass is converted into pieces with certain form, into granules having the same mass and size. To do this, under the influence of a small pressure, the pieces are compacted, then the parts themselves are deformed and their adhesion at the molecular level. At the final stage of the process, pressure is increased. As a result, granules with high strength are obtained.

What is made from PET bottles after processing? The products obtained at different stages of the process are sold to factories for subsequent use as recycled materials in the production of polyester fibers (clothes, pillows are made from it), polyester sheets, bandage tape or new PET bottles.

Plastic bottle caps are also recycled at container recycling facilities. The resulting recyclable materials are used in the production of stationery (caps for pens, files), disposable tableware, etc.

Recycling PET bottles as a business idea

How can a PET bottle recycling plant (or mini-factory) be set up if the business plan is well developed. What does it take to build a plastic bottle recycling business? Let's analyze the main points.

First, the entrepreneur must register his organization. Necessary condition running an enterprise is to obtain a license. And, of course, you need to coordinate activities with the fire services and SES.

Next, you will need to find a suitable room, it is better that it is located outside the city. It will need to be divided into three zones, in which the storage of raw materials and the finished product, as well as the production itself, will be carried out.

Necessary equipment for recycling PET bottles

After the premises are found, you need to start purchasing equipment for processing. An entrepreneur for his enterprise can choose either Russian or foreign devices. Imported equipment will require significantly higher costs than domestic, but its quality will be better.

A complete PET bottle recycling line includes several main machines that are connected with conveyors. The line consists of:

• crushers;
• agglomerator;
• granulator.

The cost of the devices varies, the equipment of the line, its capacity and degree of automation have a significant impact on the price. The average price for a line for the complete processing of PET containers with good performance from different suppliers is approximately 3 million rubles. It is clear that for many entrepreneurs such a price will be unaffordable, even taking into account possible government subsidies. Therefore, when purchasing equipment, you can resort to some tricks. For example, it can be more profitable to buy individual devices, and then assemble a complete line from them yourself. In addition, you can buy used devices, which also allow you to save a lot.

When opening a business, you can first purchase equipment only for the manufacture of flex, and after the "promotion" you can already buy additional devices (agglomerator and granulator) that make up the line for the complete processing of bottles. For the production of flex, equipment will be required with a cost of approximately 500 thousand rubles. It includes the following main devices:

• crusher;
• baths for washing plastic mass;
• centrifuge.

After buying everything necessary equipment you need to collect raw materials (this was discussed above in the article). Of course, in order to launch the enterprise, it will be necessary to find workers whose number at first initial stage may be relatively small. It will also be necessary to find wholesale buyers of manufactured materials.

If everything was done correctly when opening an enterprise, then this kind of business will quickly pay off and after a short period of time it will already bring good profits.

A clear example of a successful business experience is the experience Western countries in the recycling of plastic bottles. This can be confirmed by the fact that most of the plastic waste in these countries is now being recycled to create new products and materials.

How to open a PET bottle recycling business in our country and what needs to be done to make the business successful is described in the next video.

Recycling PET bottles at home

Remelting plastic bottles to create new products is highly discouraged, as this may be unsafe for health.

Of course, it is impossible to dispose of bottles at home using the technology described above. PET bottles accumulated at home can be reused, while inventing an original use for such containers. For example, you can build bird feeders from them or make pots for flowers and seedlings, etc.

Is it possible to organize a processing business at home? The question is ambiguous. However, there is a positive example in the world of how a person literally assembled a plastic recycling machine in his garage. The project, called Precious Plastic, was developed by Dutch resident Dave Hakkens. His self-assembled machine includes: shredder, extruder, injector and compressor. All devices are small and therefore mobile. The use of such a machine allows you to create new plastic products.

Hackens devices are not for sale. However, on the Internet, he exposes all his drawings for free, according to which any person with certain engineering knowledge can himself make a similar installation for the processing of bottles and other plastic products. Having built such an installation, it will be possible to create a home business selling self-made plastic products.

Disposal of plastic bottles at home is still a complicated process, and if you do not want to build a business on this, then it is better to take the accumulated pile of plastic bottles to special collection points.

Where to take waste PET bottles

You can hand over the waste of PET bottles to collection points organized by licensed companies that collect and recycle recyclables. Organizations can also install waste bins designed specifically for PET bottles. Such companies either only accept waste for the purpose of selling it to factories as recyclable materials, or they themselves process it. Also, you can dispose of large batches of plastic waste by directly contacting the company and drawing up a recycling agreement with it.

In some cases, upon acceptance, special requirements for containers may be put forward, for example:

1. Bottles must be clean and dry.
2. Containers must be free of paint and any debris.
3. These should not be vegetable oil bottles.

Containers sorted by color are more expensive.

Different companies offer different amounts of money for raw materials. Thus, one of the Moscow companies purchases PET bottles for 18 thousand rubles. for 1 ton.

Waste management is a rational solution to many environmental problems that exist throughout the world. Recycling plastic bottles is not only beneficial from an environmental point of view, but also financially beneficial. A properly built packaging recycling business will be successful in Russia, since we have almost no competition in this industry.

Recycling plastic bottles as a business at home, do-it-yourself equipment is of interest to many due to the availability of raw materials. You can only use material that has the appropriate symbol. This is an image of a triangle made up of three arrows. Inside the triangle, the marking of the specific plastic from which the product is made is placed. For recycling, only such plastic is selected, which, when heated, does not emit harmful substances to health.

In some cases, when stripes are made from plastic bottles for the subsequent production of wicker products, bottles from any type of plastic can be used.

An interesting recyclable material is bottles made from HDPE, a high-density polyethylene. Plastic is made from petroleum products, it is easily chipped, resistant to alkalis and acids. The scope of manufacturing from such material is very extensive. Tanks for storing motor oils, water, bearings, and various handles were created from it.

Do not use plastics with a different label for recycling at home - when melted, they can release harmful substances or simply ruin the composition.

General principles for recycling plastic containers at home

Plastic becomes plastic at a temperature of 180 ° C, so it can be used for recycling at home. Previously, the plastic is crushed, and then the resulting mass is heated. It is sometimes advised to heat the plastic at home, as it is sometimes advised - in the oven, it is impossible to reach the state of such a liquid, it simply becomes plastic, therefore any product can be easily formed from the heated mass of crushed plastic in the appropriate form, but there will be cavities in the craft.

Modern equipment for small business

Russian-language sites traditionally describe the processes of processing plastic bottles on domestic equipment, which requires more than two hundred square meters to accommodate and about six hundred thousand rubles to purchase. Along with this, today there are a lot of equipment, small in size and very cheap in terms of production cost, for processing plastic bottles at home.

Such equipment does not require a lot of space for placement, it is easy to rebuild it to change the products produced, to do it yourself. Naturally, it will not make it possible to earn millions every month, but it will make a start-up for the processing of plastic raw materials accessible to almost everyone and will serve as the foundation for the further development of such a business.

A complete plastic bottle recycling line includes:

• shredder;
• agglomerator;
• extruder.

Such a set of units will ensure the complete processing of plastic bottles.

shredder

This unit is designed for grinding plastic products. The resulting small plates of plastic are called flex. Industrially manufactured devices are quite expensive.

For example, the simplest AMD-200D crusher, which processes about fifty kilograms of feedstock per hour, will cost about one hundred and thirty-five thousand rubles. And to make such a unit with your own hands will not be much work.

Those interested will benefit from drawings:

If conditions permit and it is possible to place a bath for washing the resulting flex, a centrifuge for drying in the room, it can be limited to its production. Today, according to Flagma, such material is sold from thirty-five to forty-nine rubles per kilogram, and bought - from twenty to thirty-five rubles per kilogram.

Agglomerator

This unit is intended for sintering flex. The cost of the cheapest industrial designs is about two hundred thousand rubles. Therefore, it is not surprising that craftsmen make such units on their own. Of course, it is impossible to make such a unit from scratch without milling and turning. However, you can use the drawing and ask friends working at the factory to make the necessary parts.

Many organizers of recycling plastic bottles in garages and other utility rooms outside the attention of government agencies that monitor compliance with sanitary environmental standards use existing electric furnaces as the working chamber of the agglomerator, since the flex begins to sinter at temperatures ranging from 180˚C. Dave Hackens' agglomerators are the most popular.

extruder

This unit is a device for obtaining finished products or granules used for subsequent processing. The screws feed the flakes into the chamber, where they are heated and become plastic, up to liquefaction. Passing through the filter, the plastic is cleaned and, after passing through the extruder, it takes the form of threads. These threads can be used for various products, or cut and sold.

Dave Hakkens offers homemade extruders that are combined with a press and allow you to get any product that fits the shape. In the unit, the flex is heated to an almost liquid state and is fed into the mold by screws under pressure.

What can be made from PET bottles

For people with creative imagination, plastic bottles are an inexhaustible material for inspiration.

You can also make strong ropes from plastic bottles. To do this, you need a "bottle cutter". Craftsmen make this simple device from a blade, a few washers, mounted on a wooden base.

When assembled, the bottle cutter looks like this.

Spools that are wound with threads obtained from PET bottles can also be made from bottle necks. First, cut off the necks of two bottles and the tops of two caps. Cropped caps are fixed on the rod, on which the cut necks are then wound, holes are made in the necks with a red-hot carnation, through which the beginning of the thread is passed and, having tied a knot, fix it.

The resulting tapes can be used not only for the manufacture of ropes, but also to make tubes from them. To do this, a strip cut from a plastic bottle is passed through a hole of the diameter required for the tube and heated, they begin to be pulled through it. The principle of operation is clear from the photo.

It is quite possible that such a mini-business is suitable for someone, requiring only a bottle cutter with coils and premises, such as making brooms and brooms from plastic tapes. How such products are made can be easily understood from the picture.

It may seem to many that the bottle ribbon business is very small, not noteworthy. However, in India it is a serious business. Several vertically placed bottle cutters are used, the cut strips are wound on reels that rotate from a mechanical drive. One worker sets the bottles on the bottle cutters and ties the resulting strips, the second worker controls the speed of rotation of the coils, on which the strips are wound, from which ropes are subsequently made.

AT recent times in southern countries Tiles made from PET bottles are becoming increasingly popular. The molten flex is mixed with mineral filler (sand fines) and filled into molds through an extruder. In countries former USSR such a business is just beginning, so the field for the activities of craftsmen is quite wide.

Paving slabs, chain-link mesh, greenhouse walls and much, much more are also made from plastic bottles.

But, so that an entrepreneur does not decide to make such recycled materials - success, as in any business, will depend on the literacy of drawing up a business plan. Such a document will not only streamline knowledge, build a system of actions, but can be useful if you need to attract investment money.

Principles of writing a business plan

Like any other business plan for the organization and operation of an enterprise aimed at processing plastic bottles, other plastic products are drawn up in accordance with the requirements for such documents by the considering specialists. This must be taken into account, because the business plan is prepared not so much for oneself, but for those who, on its basis, will allocate the money needed to turn the idea into practice. Financial professionals are the most picky. If they themselves do not know something thoroughly, they will definitely turn to specialists to obtain an assessment of the proposed document. Therefore, the created document should correspond to the accepted standards as much as possible, since, as they say, people are met by clothes.

Before writing, you need to clearly understand for yourself that a business plan, in fact, is just a written explanation of the proposed project, the amounts necessary for its implementation, as well as the optimal implementation timeframe. Such an approach to the matter will immediately clarify what is the main thing in it and what is secondary, what needs to be emphasized, and what should be moved to the background.

Information about the project of the future enterprise is divided into several sections:

• Section I Title page. Preamble information about the name of the enterprise, its form of ownership and address is placed here, the name of the proposed project is placed, telephone numbers and addresses are placed Email. The date of preparation of the document is indicated and information is provided on the need to calculate cash costs and profits, which are included in the document or placed in a separate application.
• Section II. This copyright section is often referred to as the "Privacy Statement". It sets out data on the authors of the business plan materials and their rights, obligations not to disclose the information received without the author's consent, as well as obligations to return the business plan after reading it if the decision on it is not positive.
• Section III. This section is often referred to as the "Summary". This section summarizes the entire business plan and outlines the essence of the project. This section is recommended to be created after writing the entire business plan and arrange the information following the following structure:

1. project description;
2. availability of resources;
3. ways and means of implementation;
4. the answer to the question - what is the uniqueness of the project;
5. required investment amount;
6. projected profit;
7. ways to return money to investors;
8. the effectiveness of the proposed project.

• Section IV. Objective of the project. This section describes the intended purpose of the proposed business, describes the services or goods supplied to the market, and indicates the benefits that customers will receive. For this, the advantages of the products produced are described in detail. If there is their uniqueness, this moment should be described as carefully and extensively as possible. If used the latest technology- you need to specify how copyright will be implemented.
• Section V Market analysis in the area of ​​the proposed business. Here the results of marketing research on the proposed products are presented, as well as the activities of competitors are analyzed. If, when writing a business plan, there is no uniqueness of the proposed business in a given region, the emphasis is on reducing costs through the use of new technologies, reducing energy costs, personnel, and so on. Be sure to take into account that today there are practically no areas that are no longer covered by business, therefore, having found competitors, you need to justify how the proposed business is more attractive.
• Section VI. Position of the created enterprise in the industry. Here the main characteristics of the enterprise are described and, based on their analysis, the place of the planned production or trade in the existing industry is noted. The preferred form of ownership of the enterprise and what costs will have to be incurred to create it are indicated. The section also contains information about:

1. company address;
2. the type of premises required, indicating whether it already exists or needs to be purchased, whether it is necessary to make repairs or not;
3. economic indicators of work;
4. temporal characteristics of the specifics of production activities.

If the business is planned to start from scratch, the prospective management has or does not have experience in this area. The lack of managerial experience in the proposed area is a very negative characteristic, as a rule, it initiates the refusal of third-party investors.

• Section VII. Product description. The section is created after the analysis of the existing market. Based on the analysis, a conclusion is made about the advantages of the proposed product and the competitiveness of the company. In this section, product samples or their photos, description must be present or attached to it. specifications. If several units of the product are produced, each of them is described in detail. Structurally, the section is divided into several subsections:

1. the name of the product, as well as its description;
2. purpose and areas of use;
3. specifications
4. competitive advantages;
5. the presence or absence of copyright;
6. environmental friendliness of the product or its absence;
7. quality certificates;
8. service and operation.

• Section VIII. Sales of products. The section contains a marketing plan for the implementation of the manufactured product. Such a plan should include:

1. models of behavior in the market;
2. a reasoned explanation of the quantity of the purchased product by customers;
3. describes the methods used to influence demand;
4. describes the methodology for calculating prices;
5. provides information on how to sell;
6. indicated legal status main consumer.

Any material on organizing a business includes a governing advice - find a customer. That's what the marketing plan is for. This structural unit is under close scrutiny, so it must be specified in detail:

1. what criteria for evaluating the product from the point of view of the consumer were studied when writing a business plan;
2. what place in the supply chain is occupied by the customer to whom the goods are supplied.

This section is based on the characteristics by which the product is evaluated not by the manufacturer, but by the consumer. It is highly desirable to analyze the evaluation of a similar product by consumers of competitors and, on the basis of this information, justify the attractiveness of your own product. This section also includes the logistics concept - how and to whom the goods are delivered, who is responsible for sending them. A strategy for conducting advertising campaigns is given. Prices and sales volumes are indicated by time periods. Payback periods and profitability are calculated.

• Section IX. Production plan. The material of the section requires close attention and elaboration, especially in cases of planning to open a company from scratch. The section describes and analyzes in detail the production chains of the product, considers the premises and the equipment located in it, its location, ways of transporting the source material, parts, finished products, and so on. Not only an exhaustive description of production is given, but also the control over its processes, it is indicated what moments will be entrusted to subcontractors, the reasons for their choice are indicated. This section describes all the costs of production, and also calculates the cost of the product, provides an estimate of costs, indicates variable and fixed costs. Information is arranged following a specific structure:

1. production structure;
2. technology used;
3. what premises are needed;
4. the need for staff;
5. raw materials;
6. equipment characteristics;
7. production capacity;
8. cost estimate;
9. selection of subcontractors;
10. cost analysis.

• Section X. Organizational plan. The section describes organizational issues, laid out regulations and describes how they will be implemented.
• Section XI. Financial planning. Here you can find information about the required financial investments and their spending. It also sets out the timing of financial movements, the timing of the stages, finances are determined for working capital. It also indicates if there is a need to attract loans and how they will be returned. In this section, the conclusion of the above is an analysis of the effectiveness of the company and its work. Structurally, it looks like this:

1. received profit;
2. tax payment structures;
3. the need for investment;
4. loan service;
5. description of the effectiveness of the project

• Section XII. Risk analysis. The section contains information about the difficulties that may impede the implementation of the project. This includes difficulties provoked by legislation, weather, competitors, and so on. The more complete the list, indicating ways to solve difficulties, the higher the assessment of the plan as a whole.

The difficulties of doing business include the wrong choice of employees - success does not depend on the degree of acquaintance, but on professionalism.

To assess the degree of risk, the following methods of analysis are used:

1. statistical method (the basis is the study of named statistics);
2. analogy method - analysis based on studying the development of similar projects;
3. expert method, basis of analysis - expert opinion;
4. modeling - the response to external influence is analyzed.

Also, a description of possible systems for countering risks is carried out, possible guarantees are called - authorities, guarantees for goods, bank guarantees, and so on.

• Section XIII. Applications. Documents that are not included in the planning description but are important are collected here, copies of contracts for similar products, data sources, price lists, and so on.

A plastic recycling business, if properly organized, can bring a decent income. At the same time, such activities help save the environment by cleaning landfills from non-decomposable garbage and preventing the release of harmful substances into the atmosphere when it is burned.

Advantages and disadvantages of a business idea

Even a small home-based plastic waste recycling business from the same empty bottles is economically viable. This is facilitated by low costs for raw materials - you can get it for free if you agree with enterprises that dream of getting rid of unnecessary waste.

Buying plastic waste from the population will require about 9 thousand rubles. per ton. If you choose the production of pellets, then from 5 tons of garbage you can get 4 tons of product. With properly established sales, their cost will be about 200 thousand rubles.

For a month, taking into account weekends and one-shift work, an average enterprise is able to produce about 40 tons of processed product.

Profit excluding taxes and other expenses comes out to about 2 million rubles. For such an enterprise, the equipment will cost about 4 million rubles. If you subtract the cost of rent, salary, utilities, transport, it will pay off in about six months.

Plastic bottle - the most common type of container at present

It is necessary to take into account the scale of production and the chosen business technology. If you process a small amount of plastic at home and produce not granules, but plastic flakes - flex, then the income will be much less, but the equipment costs will also be reduced. Here, the average income is about 300 thousand rubles. per month, and reaching the break-even point takes about a year.

When organizing a plastic recycling business, it is necessary to take into account its possible disadvantages:

• a large number of permits, which will have to spend both time and money. In general, it will take 4 months and at least 50 thousand rubles to start a business. without taking into account the cost of equipment and rent;
• difficulties in finding sales and rather high competition;
• the need for manual labor, which expands the staff and the cost of wages, payments to insurance funds and tax.

But with a competent approach to the plastic recycling business, these shortcomings are offset by a good profit, which will become stable in a year, and a fairly quick return on the initial investment.

Types of plastic recycling

In order to properly organize a plastic recycling business, you need to decide what specific plastic waste will be sent for recycling, and what end result is planned to be obtained. The choice of technology, the scale of production and the cost of equipment depend on this.

by the most in a simple way is the processing of single-grade scrap without serious pollution - the same PET bottles.

But with good financial investments, you can organize a mini-factory for the processing of various plastic materials or plastics with the inclusion of impurities. In this case, additional cleaning equipment will be required.

The processing process at enterprises is carried out mechanically or use chemical and thermal methods. To obtain secondary raw materials for sale, the first method is used. Chemical methods (hydrolysis, glycolysis, methanolysis), as well as thermal destruction (pyrolysis) require expensive equipment, special laboratory conditions, and it is extremely difficult to organize such production on your own.

Main types of recycled plastic:

• polymer granules;
• polymer-sand mixture;
• flexes.

The granulated form of polypropylene is the best suited for its combination with other components

The plastic recycling business does not only involve the production of pellets, which are used to create plastic bottles, polymer fibers and packaging.

If you purchase the appropriate equipment - melting and heating devices, you can organize the production of a polymer-sand composition.

It can be sold to enterprises engaged in the creation of flexible tiles, paving slabs and other similar products.

Processing technology includes five main stages:

1. Sorting plastic by type and level of contamination.
2. Initial grinding.
3. secondary sorting.
4. Washing and drying.
5. Melting plastic to a homogeneous state and molding in a pellet press.

From one bottle you can get from 35 to 40 g of flakes

When creating flexes, the last stage is skipped, so it turns out just crushed plastic of a small fraction of a different color. Granules have the same weight and size, they are of higher quality. It is more profitable to produce them, but the equipment is more expensive, since a special extruder is required.

The main difficulty of mechanical recycling is pre-sorting and cleaning. Contaminated plastic is brought in from landfills - removing labels, debris and impurities takes time and manual labor.

Where to begin

To implement this business idea, first of all, you need to analyze the market for the presence of competitors. If a city with a population of less than 100 thousand people already has a similar production, it is unprofitable to open a new one. Or you need to change the direction of sales - to agree with buyers in the nearest large settlements, choose a different type of finished product. But in any case, the first step is to draw up a plastic recycling business plan to take into account the likely costs and risks.

Drawing up a business plan

Even if you are considering starting a home plastic recycling business, you need to start by putting together a business plan. Ideally, it is better to make three options: realistic, optimistic and pessimistic. This will allow you to vary the work of production depending on the situation. When drawing up a plan, consider the following:

• Availability of probable suppliers of raw materials and potential distribution channels for finished products. It may be more profitable to invest in equipment for the independent production of blanks for bottles or polymer fibers.
• Required permits to open production. First of all, this is official registration with the tax authority as an LLC or individual entrepreneur with the purchase of an online cash register and its settings.
• Choosing the right space. If you organize not a tiny production in a personal garage, but a mini-factory, it is economical to rent a non-residential workshop on the outskirts of the city. But all communications must be connected.
• Selection and purchase of equipment. The kit depends on the final product. At the initial stage, you can save money by buying devices from your hands.
• Calculation of the staff and expenses for salaries, transport.

Do not forget about the advertising campaign. If preliminary sales agreements have already been concluded, a small website with product prices is sufficient. But it will probably be necessary to spend money on flyers to attract potential suppliers of raw materials and organize containers in yards for separate waste disposal.

Recycling plastic bottles is a hazardous industry, so you will need to issue a license to conduct activities and obtain an environmental opinion

Search for plastic suppliers

In order for the processing line to function continuously, a continuous supply of raw materials is required. To do this, it is necessary to establish not one, but several channels for its receipt:

• purchase from the public;
• organization environmental activities on cleaning up territories;
• use of containers for separate collection garbage;
• unnecessary fence plastic containers in cafes and restaurants.

With the right approach, most of the raw material base will come free of charge, which will reduce the cost of production and increase the likelihood of its rapid sale.

Installing containers is not enough, you need to purchase at least a cargo GAZelle

Search for premises and equipment

A mini plastic recycling plant will require an industrial area of ​​at least 60 square meters. m with additional departments for warehousing raw materials and finished products. All communication lines must be connected to it.

You will need to obtain permits from the fire and environmental services of the locality.

The set of equipment depends on the types of processed raw materials, but you will definitely need:

• automatic devices for supplying raw materials;
• cleaning devices;
• shredders for pre-grinding;
• crushers for final grinding;
• bunkers;
• dispensers.

Both liquid and dry modules can be used to clean plastics. The latter type is more convenient, economical and environmentally friendly.

The line consists of several units connected by belt conveyors

For processing plastic bottles into flakes, a perforator and a specialized line, which already includes cleaning devices and shredders, are enough.

If it is intended to obtain granules, a granulator press is additionally required. It consists of an extruder equipped with one or two screws, a slide filter, as well as an electric heater and an air or water cooler. Twin-screw extruders produce better products, but they are more expensive. Budget extrusion machines are manufactured in China, Russia and Ukraine, while more expensive and high-quality ones are brought from Western Europe.

Modern models suggest remote control work. If you do not skimp on an expensive automated line that carries out a full cycle of washing, separation from foreign inclusions, grinding and granulation, you can subsequently save a lot on the salaries of regular staff.

Homemade plastic recycling equipment on video

Personnel search

The staff of the processing complex depends on the scale of the enterprise and the automation of production. For home business Two family members will suffice, but a small plant will require hiring four workers per line, as well as a truck driver.

Possible mistakes

An optimistic business plan assumes that the plant operates without interruption, there is always enough raw materials, and the finished product is not stale in the warehouse. In this case, it is possible to obtain consistently high profits. But the reality does not always coincide with the desired result. To set up the most profitable production, you need to consider possible problems:

• lack of raw materials to fully load the line;
• geographical proximity of a competing enterprise;
• lack of equipment capacity;
• the risk of breakage of equipment components, due to which production will stop;
• human factor - negligence or alcohol abuse of workers.

If you control these points, you can avoid production errors and achieve the stability of the enterprise.

Of the approximately 300 kg of garbage thrown away per year by one resident of a large city, about 1/3 of the part is occupied by polyethylene containers, or, as it is also called, a PET bottle.

Such bottles are now used for bottling mineral and other waters, juices, kvass, beer and much more.

At first glance, used PET bottles are completely useless, unlike their glass counterparts or waste paper. But it's not. PET bottle is an excellent raw material for the production of flex - a recyclable material for the manufacture of chemical fiber.

Flex in pure form looks like white or colored flakes. Most of it comes from recycled plastic bottles. It serves as a raw material for the manufacture of exactly the same PET bottles - thus, a simple plastic bottle can go through an almost endless chain of recycling and return to the final consumer again.

But the most important thing that can be obtained from PET flex (or PET, as it is also called) is a chemical fiber. It is used to make bristles for brushes of cleaning machines and car washes, packing tape, film, tiles, paving slabs and much more. In addition, the recycling policy of PET bottles is environmentally justified: after all, it takes approximately 300 years for the complete decomposition of the 1st plastic bottle.

At present, the industry for processing such containers in Russia is practically not developed, so opening such a business is more than economically profitable.

The process itself is as follows. Raw material - the used PET bottle is collected and sorted into undyed and dyed (by color) classes. Each color is further processed separately. Then bottles made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) are rejected - their processing also takes place separately. Foreign objects are manually removed, such as rubber, glass, paper, metal, other types of plastics (PVC, PEN, LDPE, PS, etc.). Each color is further processed separately.

The bottles, pre-pressed, are loaded into a special line for the processing of containers, the output of which is a pure flake flake.

The line consists of several units connected together by belt conveyors.

First, the raw material enters a special rotary machine for separating labels and caps. The bottles treated in this way and freed from foreign objects are then fed into a crusher - an apparatus like a large blender with several knives that crush them.

A special screw conveyor designed to move amorphous products (equipped with an Archimedean screw) places the resulting mass of finely chopped plastic into a steam boiler, where, under the action of hot water, foreign elements remaining after processing in the machine for separating labels and caps are removed.

After the boiler, the cleaned plastic is placed in a washing polishing machine and then in a rinsing machine. After the water treatment, the plastic is finally considered completely cleaned and placed in a water separator dryer and air dried. After drying, the ready-made flex accumulates in a special bunker.

Costs of Starting a PET and PVC Waste Recycling Business

A fully equipped line will cost only 132 thousand dollars (3.9 million rubles). Its productivity is 0.8-1 tons per hour. At the output, a flex weighing about 80% is obtained (taking into account the separated parts unsuitable for processing and production losses - shrinkage, utrus, etc.) from the initially loaded raw material. The total power (energy consumption) of the entire line is 73 kWh.

Service: 8-10 employees, of which they are also involved in the processing of the incoming material (primary washing, rejection), loading of raw materials and unloading the finished product. One worker can process about 120 kg/h of incoming PET bottles. The salary of each is 15-20 thousand rubles.

The cost of raw materials is $ 100 (about 3 thousand rubles) per 1 ton (an average of 24 thousand bottles).

In addition to the stationary one, there is a mobile option - a portable mini-plant for processing PET bottles.

This option is more suitable for a company that organizes the recycling of plastic bottles in several, for example, small cities at the same time. It is known that twenty tons of PET bottles can be collected in the dump of a city with a population of one hundred thousand per month. It is advisable to move monthly, for example, within one or two regions and process the containers collected in the previous month.

The mini-factory is fully assembled in a 20-foot (6-meter) container. All units inside the container are installed and adjusted, connected by pipes or special transport equipment, and connected by power and control wires to the control unit of the plant at the factory.

When installing a container plant at the place of operation, only electricity, water and access to sewerage are required to drain waste.

The cost of the mini-factory is 160 thousand euros (6 million 750 thousand rubles).

The selling price of the finished product is 22.4-23.6 thousand rubles, depending on the color.

Recycling of PVC waste

For the processing of PVC waste, there is a special complex for their granulation. It consists of several different components than the previous ones, and a line for washing and grinding heavily contaminated polygon bottles for it is purchased separately.

The cost of such a line is 76.8 thousand dollars (2.3 million rubles). The granulation line itself consists of a crusher for crushing PVC waste, a two-stage mixer ("hot-cold") for mixing PVC compositions, the actual granulation unit (twin screw extruder, granulator, vibrating sieve).

All these assembled devices cost 459 thousand rubles, their productivity is from 15 to 30 kg per hour. The cost of 1 ton of finished products - PVC granules, depending on the color, size and other technical characteristics, ranges from 37 to 85 thousand rubles. for 1 ton

What is more profitable - recycling PVC or PET waste?

Let's calculate the profitability of acquiring a particular processing line. For a line for the processing of PET bottles, profitability is quite high: with a salary of all employees of a maximum of 200 thousand rubles. per month, the cost of raw materials is 3 thousand rubles. for 1 ton, with an 8-hour working day and a 24-day working month, the net product yield is no less than 15 tons, or at least 330 thousand gross profits.

Even if utility costs amount to 30% of gross profit, net profit will be equal to at least 230 thousand rubles. per month. The payback of the business, therefore, is only one and a half years.

When purchasing a line for the processing of PVC waste, the total cost of equipment will amount to about 2.76 million rubles. Monthly wages for 2 employees serving the line - 30 thousand rubles.

The cost of raw materials is from 18 to 22-23 thousand rubles. for 1 ton. With the production of about 250 kg per day per month, at least 220 thousand rubles are obtained. gross income.

At the same time, net income is quite insignificant - about 50 thousand rubles. per month. But this is explained simply - by the insignificant output of products under the conditions of an 8-hour working day.

With the transition to continuous (3-shift) work and the production of not the cheapest PVC granules, the net profit will increase at least 5 times.

Payback in the worst scenario - more than 4.5 years, with an average - about 2, and with the most favorable - less than a year.

Recycling plastic bottles is a business that pursues not only economic benefits. Most entrepreneurs see this as a manifestation of social responsibility. Make profitable environmental project Maybe.

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Process technology for recycling plastic bottles

To date, there are two main processing technologies:

• production of PET granules for the production of polymer products;
• production of recycled PET.

Stages of recycling plastic bottles:

• collection;
• sorting;
• washing;
• granulation.

Collection Sorting Washing Granulation

Collection of raw materials

Collection methods:

• creation of mobile or stationary reception points;
• establishing supplies from landfills;
• installation of special tanks or machines.

During the collection phase, significant transport costs may be required. The plastic is light but bulky. To reduce the size and reduce the cost of transportation, it is recommended to purchase a mobile press.

It may seem that organizing the collection of raw materials is the easiest step. However, it is not. Often, recyclables in landfills are shared by existing companies. A direct collection from the population involves the cost of advertising and purchase.

In order to install tanks for separate waste collection, you will need permission from the administration and already prepared urban infrastructure. If you install a container only for collecting plastic, it is necessary to conduct educational work with residents. Separate storage and disposal of garbage in our country is poorly developed and you need to be prepared for the fact that everything will be in a special container.

Points of live reception from the population are beneficial in that primary raw materials are rented according to requirements. For example, bottles can be taken immediately without caps and rings. They are made from a different type of plastic and are recycled separately.

One of the most profitable ways to collect is the delivery of recyclables in school institutions, similar to the type of waste paper in the USSR. This will require an additional agreement with the management and the cost of encouraging schoolchildren. But in the end, it can provide good volumes and, if properly informed about the requirements for raw materials, will eliminate additional sorting.

At the collection stage, it should be noted that the bottles are less recyclable:

• of red color;
• from under the oil;
• from dairy products;
• packaging from household chemicals.

Sorting

Sorting is the most time-consuming process. It can be carried out both automatically and manually.

If computer sorting is established in the production, then after placing it in the drum and separating the raw materials from dirt and metals, it is the system that determines the color and sorts the plastic into bins.

Plastic sorted by colors:

• natural;
• blue;
• brown;
• green.

After recycling, the color of the plastic remains the same. Therefore, recycled material is valued by packaging manufacturers. Colored finished raw materials save them from additional costs for dyes.

Brown plastic raw material is the highest quality but cheap. It cannot be repainted. Next comes the green and blue flex. Transparent is the most expensive.

Washing

Sorted bottles must be thoroughly cleaned of labels, content residues and dirt. Processing is carried out hot water with caustic soda. Before washing, if this is not done in advance, plugs and rings are preliminarily removed.

Then the pure raw material is crushed and granulated.

Granulation

Purified PET in special crushers becomes flex.

Flex is multi-colored plastic flakes 12-20 mm in size, obtained as a result of recycling polyethylene terephthalate.

After washing, the flex is thoroughly dried in a centrifuge and dryer.

• warms up to 280 degrees;
• stretched into fibers;
• cut into uniform granules.

Then the plastic is sent to a special room, where, under the influence of nitrogen and temperature, it becomes cloudy and gains the necessary mass and viscosity.

Packaging is made from granulated plastic, Construction Materials, clothes. It takes 20 PET bottles to make 1 polyester t-shirt.

Business Relevance

Business relevance is determined by two indicators:

• economic;
• ecological.

According to research, it takes 200 years for an ordinary plastic bottle to decompose. According to the statistics of the UN Committee, millions of animals and birds die every year on Earth due to plastic waste. Billions of tons of garbage are dumped into the world's oceans, as a result of which an entire island has formed, several times the size of the United States.

Therefore, recycling is not only profitable business but also an opportunity to improve the ecology of the planet.

The economic relevance of the plastic bottle recycling business in Russia is explained by the following indicators:

1. The activity is relatively new. There is relatively little competition.
2. There is no shortage of raw materials. A significant part of beverage packaging is plastic bottles.
3. stable demand. The flex obtained during processing is used in the production of disposable plastic tableware, containers, films and other things.

Recycled PET granulate is widely demanded in production.

It is made from:

• plastic bottles;
• thick film;
• fabrics for the textile industry;
• building materials: tiles and paving slabs;
• components for the automotive industry (engine covers, panels, bumpers, doors).

In addition, the same material can be recycled more than once.

Description and analysis of the market

More than 3 billion tons of waste of various materials are produced every year in the world. About 20% of them are plastic. In our country, about 25 kg of waste per person per year. Mainly polyethylene and polypropylene are recycled.

The annual volume of plastic waste generation in Russia is about 40 million tons. 35% of them can become recyclable.

The main obstacle to the organization of full recycling of waste is the lack of a system and resources for separate collection, established at the legislative level. Few decide to dispose and collect waste separately.

Despite the difficulties, the industry in Russia tends to develop.

Development indicators:

• the number of companies producing raw materials from used plastics is increasing;
• profitability grows;
• the cost of primary raw materials increases;
• Gradually, the state adopts laws and preferential niches attractive to entrepreneurs.

According to Research. Techart, the domestic recycling market is estimated at $1.5-2 billion. Wherein Russian market technologically undeveloped.

This is evidenced by the statistics:

• almost 97% off total waste is in landfills;
• only about 2% of MSW is burned;
• Only 3% of waste is recycled industrially.

Pros and cons

The idea of ​​recycling plastic waste is becoming significant and economically attractive, but it has both pros and cons.

Sales channels

To get a decent profitability, it is necessary to think over distribution channels in advance.

They can become:

1. Sale of material to similar enterprises with a more complete work cycle.
2. Sale of material to companies specializing in the production of flex fibers. There are few such enterprises in Russia, their volumes are very large and they are interested in partnership.
3. Foreign firms.

Competitive advantages

If there is already a large enterprise in the territory in which the technology is established, collecting and marketing raw materials can be a daunting task.

Main competitive advantages:

• good location;
• well-established collection of raw materials;
• competent sales policy, including with the participation of foreign partners;
• Availability of modern equipment and process automation.

Advertising campaign

Enterprise promotion can have 2 goals:

• setting up the collection of raw materials;
• sales promotion.

To organize the collection of raw materials, advertising campaign tools can be:

• outdoor advertising in residential areas where it is planned to organize stationary or mobile collection points;
• audio advertising at bus stops;
• ads in educational institutions to attract the attention of students;
• placement of ads near city dumps.

To establish sales, it is necessary to focus on large enterprises and legal entities.

Promotion may include:

• company website development;
• announcements in local print media, interviews with the head;
• email distribution;
• specialized promotion in foreign online markets.

Step-by-step instructions for opening

The step-by-step instruction for opening consists of the following steps:

1. Analysis of the local market.
2. Gathering and obtaining the necessary consultations, search for business representatives from related industries.
3. Development detailed business plan with calculations.
4. Determining the possibility of obtaining subsidies and grants.
5. Registration of activities in state bodies.
6. Room selection.
7. Purchase of equipment and supplies.
8. Carrying out all communications and installation of the production line.
9. Staff recruitment and training.
10. Search and attraction of partners, adjustment of sales policy.
11. Conducting an advertising campaign.
12. The start of the enterprise.

The documents

To register an enterprise with state bodies, the organizational and legal form of an LLC is required.

This will allow:

• conclude contracts for the supply of products abroad;
• conduct cooperation with legal entities.

This type of activity is licensed in accordance with the operation of Law No. 458-FZ.
You will need to obtain permission from the Sanitary and Epidemiological Station.

room

For the functioning of the enterprise, a warehouse or production room is selected, with total area at least 200 sq. m, with a ceiling height of 5 m.

Communications must be connected to the premises:

• electricity;
• water supply;
• sewerage.

The following zones are organized on the site:

• office;
• warehouse for finished products and raw materials;
• premises with production equipment;
• sanitary rooms;
• additional warehouses.

The site must be away from residential areas. The location near the landfills is considered successful for reducing transport costs. A parking lot is equipped on the territory of the enterprise, as well as the entrance is organized in a special way.

In regions with developed state support, you need to find out about the possibility of obtaining a lease on preferential terms.

Equipment and inventory

Availability of equipment depends on the amount of initial investment. The technological processing line consists of certain units.

Optional equipment:

• wastewater neutralization station;
• supply and exhaust ventilation.

Judging by the feedback from entrepreneurs, a profitable option is to purchase a set of lines and processing with installation and turnkey installation.

The video shows the operation of the PET bottle recycling line. Filmed by Universal Company.

Staff

The enterprise, which provides for a full cycle of processing, consists of 15 employees.

Accounting at the initial stage can be handled by a director or an employee on attraction.

Financial plan

Planning of financial indicators is based on the following data.

How much does it cost to start recycling plastic bottles?

To determine the cost of the initial investment, all major cost items should be taken into account.

Recurring costs

Recurring project costs.

Income

It is very important to build a competent marketing policy and find wholesale buyers of products. So the equipment will not be idle, and it will be possible to recoup the costs and earn money in the shortest possible time.

income that can be earned.

Calendar plan

Planning for the launch of production should begin with the preparation of a calendar plan.

Risks and payback

Taking into account the performance of the equipment and the initial investment, the payback period for the business is 13 months.

For a complete picture of the future activities of the enterprise, the risks should be taken into account:

• fluctuations in the cost of the final raw material;
• decrease in enterprise productivity;
• legislative changes;
• interruptions in the supply of raw materials;
• dependence on the quality of work of low-skilled personnel.

Video