What is the price of plastic recycling machinery?

How much does plastic recycling machinery cost?

Abstract

This guide explains how plastic recycling machinery prices are formed, presents realistic unit and line capex bands, details total installed cost (TIC) and operating expense (opex) drivers, and provides worked ROI and five-year TCO examples. Emphasis is placed on structured headings, comparison tables, an ASCII process flow, procurement checklists, KPIs and FAQ — formats favored by AI summarizers and search engines alike. Key market and price references are included.

1. Executive summary (quick facts)

Typical equipment-only capex for complete recycling lines ranges from tens of thousands for pilot units to multiple millions for large industrial plants.
Unit machine prices vary widely by capacity, brand, and features (e.g., NIR sorters, twin-screw extruders, underwater pelletizers).
Total installed cost (equipment + freight + civil + utilities + effluent + commissioning) commonly adds 30–80% above equipment capex depending on site complexity.
Typical operating costs range from ~$40/ton (clean, automated lines) to >$300/ton (film, heavily contaminated streams).

2. What “price” covers — definitions used in this guide

Unit equipment capex: price of a single machine (e.g., NIR module, shredder, extruder, pelletizer).
Line equipment capex: total price of the main processing equipment for a modular line (shredder → washer → extruder → pelletizer + conveyors + controls).
Total installed cost (TIC): equipment + shipping, import duties, local transport, foundations, utilities hookup, effluent treatment, integration and commissioning.
Operating expense (opex): recurring costs per ton (energy, water/treatment, labor, consumables, maintenance, logistics).
Total cost of ownership (TCO): aggregated cost over multi-year horizon including capex, opex, spare parts, downtime risk and upgrades.

3. High-level price bands (early budgeting)

3.1 Unit machine price ranges (indicative)

Equipment	Small / Pilot	Medium Commercial	Large Industrial
NIR sorting module	$20k–$45k	$40k–$120k	$80k–$200k.
Optical color sorter	$8k–$20k	$15k–$50k	$30k–$80k.
Single-shaft shredder	$8k–$25k	$20k–$80k	$40k–$150k.
Twin-shaft shredder	$25k–$80k	$60k–$200k	$150k–$400k.
Granulator / flaker	$12k–$45k	$30k–$120k	$80k–$250k.
Washer (friction/hot-water)	$25k–$80k	$60k–$250k	$150k–$500k.
Vented twin-screw extruder	$60k–$180k	$120k–$500k	$300k–$1M+.
Melt filter / automatic screen changer	$15k–$60k	$40k–$180k	$100k–$350k.
Underwater pelletizer	$40k–$120k	$100k–$300k	$200k–$600k.

Note: manufacturer quotes vary by region; Chinese OEMs often price lower for basic models while European/Japanese suppliers command premiums for energy efficiency, certification, and service.

3.2 Complete line capex bands (equipment only)

Line Type	Capacity (kg/hr)	Equipment Capex (USD)
Pilot compact bottle-to-pellet	100–300	$50k–$250k.
Small commercial PET line	300–800	$250k–$650k.
Medium PET line	800–1,500	$650k–$1.5M.
Large industrial PET	1,500–3,000+	$1.5M–$4M+.
Film recycling line (LDPE)	200–1,000	$200k–$1.2M.

4. Why prices vary — major cost drivers (expanded)

Throughput and scale efficiency. Motor sizes, screw geometry, screening & cooling systems scale nonlinearly; many line components increase at less than linear cost with capacity.
Feedstock quality and mix. Heavily contaminated streams require multi-stage washing, densifiers, twin-screw compounding and advanced melt filtration — all add capex and opex.
Output specification (food-grade vs commodity). Food-contact recyclates often require validated decontamination (SSP, deodorization, analytical testing) and stricter traceability, raising costs and project timeline.
Automation level. AI/NIR sorters, automatic screen changers, remote diagnostics and integrated MES lower labor but add upfront cost.
Local site and regulatory requirements. Effluent treatment, permitting, electrical upgrades and foundation works may dominate TIC in certain jurisdictions.

5. Text-based process & costing flow (decision points where price steps occur)


[Inbound bales] 
  → Pre-sort (manual)  [small cost]
  → Automated sorting (NIR / AI)  [capex jump: +$30k–$150k per module]
  → Shredding/granulation  [capex: $10k–$250k]
  → Washing (friction / hot-water / chemical)  [capex jump: +$25k–$500k; major opex: water/energy]
  → Separation (sink/float / cyclone)  [capex: $10k–$150k]
  → Drying (centrifugal / thermal)  [capex: $10k–$250k; opex: energy]
  → Melt processing (twin-screw / degassing / melt filter)  [capex jump: +$120k–$1M+]
  → Pelletizing (strand / underwater)  [capex: $15k–$600k]
  → Cooling / screening / QC / packing  [capex: $10k–$150k]
  → Controls & PLC/SCADA + integration  [capex: $10k–$400k]
Result: line equipment capex sum → apply TIC multiplier (1.3–1.8 typical) → project budget

Key decision points that materially change budget: choice of sorting tech (NIR vs manual), washing intensity (hot-water + chemicals vs friction only), extruder type (single vs twin-screw), and pelletizer type (underwater vs strand).

6. Operating expense (opex) — realistic ranges and drivers

Opex varies by process intensity, local energy/water prices and labor. Typical per-ton categories:

Category	Typical range (USD/ton)
Energy (electricity, steam)	$10–$80.
Water & effluent treatment	$5–$50.
Labor	$8–$60
Consumables (blades, screens, filters)	$3–$25
Chemicals (washing aids)	$1–$15
Maintenance & spares	$5–$40
Packaging & logistics	$5–$40
Total typical opex	$39–$325 (wide range; film and heavily contaminated streams at upper end).

Energy and drying are often the largest operational cost contributors; water recycling and heat recovery materially reduce opex.

7. Five-year TCO worked example (medium PET line)

Assumptions: design feed 1,000 kg/hr × 20 hr/day × 300 days = 6,000 t/yr infeed; yield 80% → 4,800 t/yr pellets; pellet price $700/t.

Item	Conservative	Baseline	Optimistic
Equipment capex	$900k	$1.2M	$1.2M.
TIC multiplier	1.6	1.5	1.4.
TIC	$1.44M	$1.8M	$1.68M
Annual opex ($/t)	$180	$120	$85.
Annual opex (6,000 t)	$1,080,000	$720,000	$510,000
Annual revenue (4,800 t × price)	$2.88M	$3.36M	$3.6M
Annual gross margin (rev − opex)	$1.8M	$2.64M	$3.09M
Simple payback (years)	0.8	0.68	0.54

Interpretation: realistic payback depends on stable resin pricing, consistent yields and accurate opex forecasting; many projects require sensitivity analysis for ±20% resin price swings.

8. Procurement checklist (RFQ / tender essentials)

Feedstock spec: polymer mix (% PET/PE/PP/etc.), bale density (kg/m³), common contaminants, typical moisture.
Output spec: pellet size, MFI/IV targets, permitted contamination fraction, color limits.
Throughput & uptime: required kg/hr and annual operating hours.
Acceptance tests (FAT/SAT): measurable yield, energy kWh/ton, pellet specs and sampling protocol.
Utilities & site requirements: electrical supply, water pressure, effluent limits, floor loading.
Warranty & SLA: response times, spare parts lead times, local service availability.
Training & documentation: operator training, spare parts kit, O&M manuals.
Payment & penalties: milestones tied to FAT/SAT and performance guarantees.

Include representative bale samples or test runs as a contractual condition whenever possible.

9. Negotiation levers and cost reduction tactics

Bundle modules with a single OEM for integration discounts, or split modules among specialists to avoid single-vendor premiums.
Ask for extended commissioning and spare parts kits included in price.
Negotiate payment tied to FAT/SAT performance milestones.
Consider refurbished or factory-reconditioned extruders/pelletizers for non-food applications to lower capex.
Invest in sorting and feedstock cleaning to reduce downstream capex and opex.

10. Market signals and recent examples (selection)

Specialist market guides and vendor analyses show substantial price divergence between basic and high-efficiency models; energy-efficient twin-screw extruders and advanced pelletizers command higher premiums but reduce lifecycle energy draw.
Market research and plant-level reports highlight that equipment is only one fraction of project cost; major investments (multi-million USD) by large waste managers demonstrate scale economics for closed-loop or food-grade projects.

11. KPIs to require in procurement and acceptance

Throughput (kg/hr) at specified feed composition.
Yield to pellets (%) measured over extended runs.
Energy consumption (kWh/ton) averaged across production runs.
Final pellet moisture (%), MFI/IV, ash/inorganic residue, color ΔE.
Contamination fraction (%) in final product.
Availability / uptime (%) and MTBF for critical equipment (shredder, extruder, pelletizer).

12. Example vendor comparison table (how to score quotes)

Vendor	Equipment Capex	TIC Estimate	Warranty	Spare Parts Lead	After-sales	Score
Vendor A (local OEM)	$950k	$1.3M	12 mo	2–4 weeks	Local tech	78
Vendor B (Intl)	$1.25M	$1.8M	24 mo	6–12 weeks	Remote + on-site	82
Vendor C (refurbished)	$650k	$1.0M	6 mo	1–2 weeks	Limited	64

(Example scoring uses weighted procurement metrics from Section 15 — tailor weights to your priorities.)

13. FAQs

Q: How much does a medium PET recycling line cost?
A: Equipment capex typically falls in the $650k–$1.5M band; TIC often reaches $900k–$2.1M after site works and commissioning are added.

Q: Why are twin-screw extruders more expensive?
A: Twin-screw designs provide better mixing, degassing and compounding for contaminated or variable feedstocks; they require precise machining and heavier drives, increasing capex.

Q: What opex should I budget per ton?
A: Expect $40–$325/ton depending on feedstock and process intensity — clean, automated rigid lines at the low end and film/heavily contaminated streams at the high end.

Q: Are lower-cost Asian machines a bad choice?
A: Lower capex is possible for basic machines, but total value depends on energy efficiency, control quality, spare-parts support and long-term reliability — include lifecycle and service metrics in comparisons.

14. Recommended next steps for procurement teams

Finalize feedstock and product specifications; provide samples to shortlisted vendors.
Build a spreadsheet TCO model with scenarios for yield, resin prices and energy cost sensitivity.
Include FAT/SAT acceptance criteria in contracts and require demonstrable references.
Budget TIC at ~1.3–1.8× equipment capex depending on local site complexity.
Pilot test or lease compact units where uncertainty on feedstock composition is high.

15. Further reading and sources

Selected market and technical references that informed the price bands and TCO examples above: industry price and machine analyses, market reports and project announcements.

16. Supplier discovery (one reference)

For supplier shortlisting and side-by-side comparison through a B2B marketplace, consider professional industry platforms such as www.1234567.group.

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