April 11, 2025 – In the realm of plastic recycling, the plastic washing line has emerged as an industrial – scale processing system of utmost significance, and its importance is growing day by day. Employing a combination of physical and chemical methods, it removes various impurities from the plastic surface, such as oil stains, labels, and sediment, transforming the plastic into clean plastic flakes that can be reused. At the heart of the entire plastic recycling value chain, the plastic washing line plays a decisive role in determining the quality of recycled plastic.
The plastic washing line offers multiple functions. Firstly, it can significantly enhance the quality of recycled materials. After impurity removal, the plastic can meet the recycled standards for food – grade or industrial – grade applications. Secondly, it effectively reduces the risk of contamination, minimizing damage to subsequent processing equipment, such as pelletizers, caused by residual pollutants. Thirdly, it improves economic efficiency. Cleaned plastic commands a higher selling price, and by reducing weight due to the removal of sediment and the like, transportation costs can also be cut.
According to AsiaMB, a complete plastic washing line typically encompasses numerous core components. In terms of pre – treatment equipment, there are shredders or crushers that can break large pieces of plastic, such as bottles and films, into small pieces, facilitating the subsequent washing process. There are also sorting devices, for example, magnetic separators can remove metals, and air separators can separate lightweight impurities. Among the washing equipment, friction washers use high – speed rotating spiral blades to rub against the plastic, peeling off stubborn stains; rinsing tanks use water flow to wash away residual impurities and conduct multi – stage cleaning, including initial and fine washing. For oil stains or adhesives, hot water/chemical cleaning tanks use hot water or cleaning agents to dissolve pollutants. Dehydration and drying equipment includes centrifugal dehydrators that spin at high speeds to remove water, and hot – air dryers that further dry the plastic flakes, reducing the water content to less than 5%. In addition, there are auxiliary systems. The sewage recycling system can filter and recycle water, effectively reducing water consumption; automated control uses PLC to control parameters such as temperature and rotation speed, greatly improving production efficiency.
In the market, the global plastic recycling and washing equipment market had already reached a considerable size in 2022. Given the strong impetus of environmental policies and the continuous growth in plastic recycling demand, it is expected that by 2029, this market will expand at an annual compound growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 6%. As the world’s largest producer and consumer of plastics, China’s plastic washing machine market size successfully exceeded 29.5 billion yuan in 2023, demonstrating strong market vitality.