The process of washing plastic waste at a plastics recycling plant usually involves several stages to ensure that the recycled plastic material is effectively cleaned. This article describes how to clean PET bottles and machines used in a plastics recycling plant.

Soaking and Rinsing: Plastic waste like plastic film is soaked in a rinse tank to soften and remove dirt, grease and other impurities that adhere to the surface. This is a necessary cleaning step before plastic pelletizing.

Friction Cleaning: By using a plastic friction washer, the brushes inside the machine are used to remove dirt from the surface of the plastic. This method is more effective when dealing with tougher plastics and is often used in PET bottle recycling lines.

Hot Water Cleaning: Some plastics may need to go through the process of warm water cleaning such as plastic oil drums, paint buckets, etc. This is to ensure that any grease and chemicals left on the surface of the plastic are removed by a hot water washing tank.

Rinsing and Drying: After washing, plastics often need to be rinsed to remove residues such as cleaning agents. Afterwards, the plastic may be put through a drying system, such as air blow drying or hot air drying, to ensure that it is completely dry.