This study unveils a conceptual design tackling LDPE and low-grade or non-recyclable plastic issues, with a shift towards large-scale upcycling over traditional recycling. It emphasizes rapid deployment, cost-efficiency, and adaptability for resource-limited areas. By choosing wood over steel, the design prioritizes environmental and social friendliness during fabrication and ensures accessibility, flexibility, and straightforward construction or adjustments. The mobile facility concept design aimed for on-site assembly, particularly at dump sites, this concept is to remove transportation demands and streamline operations, thereby enhancing its feasibility and broad applicability. As a thorough professional exploration, it delves into innovative upcycling and recycling strategies, highlighting their critical role in advancing sustainability and waste management practices.

Introduction:

Decoding the Plastic Industry, Insights on the High-Tech Production Processes Unveiled, and the Recycling Realities.

The thermoplastic industry benefits from highly advanced, precise technologies developed in sophisticated laboratories for well-served and well-resourced facilities. The mainstream recycling industry operates on an unpredictable final product model, primarily ending with the production of plastic pellets from waste, which are then sold to manufacturers. In plastic manufacturing facilities, regardless of their output, a common apparatus is the extruder – think of it as a kitchen appliance, like a meat grinder. This machine, equipped with a central, heated pole and screw, melts and mixes plastic before shaping it. It doesn’t matter if the end product is a simple pipe or a complex 3D object; the extruder plays a pivotal role, either by shaping the material through a specialized nozzle or by preparing it for injection into molds.

While PET (water bottles) and HDPE (shampoo containers) are widely recycled, The LDPE ( single use bags) dominates landfill and dumpsite waste due to its minimal presence in the recycling market. Various factors contribute to this issue:

• Economic challenges are significant; LDPE’s bulky nature and low resale value make its recycling less profitable compared to denser, more valuable materials.
• LDPE control is problematic, particularly with items like single-use bags, which are difficult to manage and recycle efficiently.
• Recycled LDPE’s low quality reduces its attractiveness, with many opting for higher-grade materials for better product integrity.
• Additionally, the cost-effectiveness of producing new plastic over recycling dissuades investment in LDPE recycling efforts.

All of that caused an absence of interest in the mainstream market to develop a customized technology for the LDPE recycling that address those challenges.

Moreover, The plastic aluminium foil of the food packages are 100% ending up in the nature (fields and marine), dumping in the landfills or in best scenarios in incinerators.

Tarpaulin, Aluminum plastic foil, food packages, Other low-grade plastic, LDPE are all considered as The Non-recyclable thermoplastic, but they can be upcycled.

Upcycling represents the original intention of recycling.

Enhancing the efficiency of upcycling to effectively tackle mass waste production involves systematizing processes and integrating automated, customized technologies. This approach is pivotal in transforming contemporary crafts into sustainable industries.

Concept Design. 

• Laying down several plastic shreds layers. 

• Heat exposure of every layer separately.

• Adjusting every factor separately: speed, volume, temperature, pressing force, as required.

• Pressing and forming using wheeling in oven.

• High press.

Options of combinations.

• Reinforcing by using fibre net between the layers.

• Coating the surface using jute textile, any other material or aluminium plastic foil sheets.

• Multi options for forms.

Prototyping:

• Designing the structure of the machine using digital application, using CNC machine to cut the parts from plywood boards.

• Convenient for modification, transportable structure, sustainable affordable, durable material.

• Modular structure, giving ability of changing the input order and parameters, for more options of combinations.

• Radiant LPG gas burners for consistent temperature, thermometers and gas flow controllers.

• Using microcontrollers and NEMA 34 motors for the plastic feeding system, VFD for the conveying speed,

Advantages

• Short lineal production line.

• Unlimited option of thickness and profile, and several options of layers combinations.

• Mobile facility can target the dumping field. Easy installing, fast building, locally made.

• Affordable initial cost facility.

•Parts collected in the local market, Customized parts made in the local crafts.

•As light as possible, simplicity, flexibility.