Research
Safety standard blend limit
A US safety standard lets a molder blend up to 25 percent ground plastic into new resin.
Official or measured
A US safety standard for parts molded from plastics
Grinding beside the press
Ground beside the press, leftover plastic returns to the same job clean and unmixed.
Industry source
Trade guides for injection molders
Customer limits on ground plastic
Customers who allow ground plastic often cap it at 15 to 25 percent. Some jobs allow none.
Industry source
Trade guides for injection molders
Plastic weakens with each melt
Each melt weakens a plastic a little. So the share is capped and held by weight.
Supplier's claim
Resin suppliers' processing guides
Grinder and blender prices
A grinder beside a press costs $3,000 to 15,000. A blender that weighs the mix costs more.
Supplier's claim
Equipment suppliers' price ranges for grinders and blenders
Our own estimates
The pounds, the running costs and the recycler price are our estimates, not measured here.
Our estimate
Our estimate