Plastic recycling method for treating plastic waste

Abstract

To relate to a plastic recycling method for processing plastic waste.SOLUTION: The plastic recycling method includes the following steps of: providing a plastic waste mixing stream that has a variable ratio two-dimensional product and a variable ratio three-dimensional product, and a non-uniform, variable density distribution, with the ratio changing over time; washing both parts of the plastic waste mixture stream together; shredding both portions of the plastic waste mixture stream together while feeding the cleaning solution; separating the mixed plastic waste stream into at least two fractions based on density, the separation being a function of a pre-determinable density separation cut; and in at least one of the separated fractions, mutually separating the two-dimensional product fraction and the three-dimensional product fraction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention is based on a plastic recycling method for treating plastic waste, which essentially comprises the steps of washing, shredding and separating the plastic stream. [Background technology]

[0002] The growing amount of plastic waste poses a major challenge to our society in the coming years. In 2019, approximately 5.35 million tons of post-consumer plastic waste were generated in Germany. Of this, only 1.33 million tons were sent for material recycling in German processing plants. This means that only 1.03 million tons were ultimately produced in a quality suitable for reuse in the plastics processing industry. This corresponds to just over 19% of the quota. The facts about Germany's performance in recycling plastics and using recyclables are correspondingly more modest.

[0003] As of today, Germany does not have the recycling infrastructure necessary to economically and technically process the large amounts of plastic waste generated here into high-quality recyclates. Many of today's processing plants are outdated, not state-of-the-art, and have a very weak economic base.

[0004] The increasing volume of plastic waste, stricter national and international legislation on approval procedures, increasing recycling rates and the use of recyclables, as well as restrictions on the import and export of waste, will pose significant challenges for EU Member States, and in particular for plastic recyclers, in the coming years. Investments in reprocessing capacities, and in particular the development of new reprocessing processes to address the aforementioned challenges and problems, are urgently needed.

[0005] One of the biggest challenges for plastic recyclers is the highly contaminated plastic waste mixture. Existing recycling processes and plants can currently only recycle these fractions to a very limited extent. Therefore, a large portion of this waste is currently used for thermal recycling. Furthermore, the majority of the recyclate produced is rarely replaced by virgin raw materials for technologically refined plastic products on a sustainable basis, as quality defects prevent stable plastic processing.

[0006] Today's situation calls for new approaches to processing and the creation of additional capacities in order to meet the requirements of the Packaging Act and the KrWG, and in particular what is already being done today to sustainably increase raw material allocations and provide the plastics processing industry with sufficient quantities of plastic recyclates of particularly high and consistent quality as a future replacement for primary plastics.

[0007] The development of economically viable concepts for the mechanical treatment of heavily contaminated and mixed plastic waste volumes, which have so far mainly been thermally recycled, is important. New modern treatment technologies have great potential to meet recycling quotas and, above all, to avoid the tax on plastic waste mixtures that have not yet been recycled in Germany, further reducing the economic and environmental burden caused by unrecycled plastic waste volumes.

[0008] In many cases, mixed plastics are recovered but only sent for recycling after passing through complex dry mechanical separation steps such as ballistic separators and NIR sorters. However, these existing processes and plants are unable to adequately clean the films, bags and trays and separate them from other types of plastic, so the majority of them are not sent for reprocessing and are not recycled. These sorting residues that are not recycled are therefore recovered as energy, and the thermal energy they contain is used for electricity and district heating.

[0009] A process for separating and recovering plastics is known from DE 10 2013 213 478 A1. This process involves separating desired types of plastic from the resulting plastic mixture at the beginning of the process, followed by washing and drying, size separation, color sorting, separation of the desired types of plastic by grade, color sorting of the plastic batches, granulation, and production of regranulated products. The disclosed process has the disadvantage that certain types of plastics are already pre-separated at the beginning, and therefore only a low recycling rate can be achieved because a large portion of the separated plastics is sent to thermal utilization rather than recycled. Summary of the Invention

[0010] Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to improve plastic recycling processes for treating plastic waste so that higher recyclable material yields and significantly increased grade purity can be achieved using recyclates produced from plastic waste mixtures. Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to economically process a wide variety of material streams offered by the market, increase recycling rates and the supply of high-quality recyclates, especially from material streams that have been difficult to recycle until now, and meet the demand for decentralized, wide-area processing capacity.

[0011] Thus, a plastic recycling method for treating plastic waste is provided, comprising the following steps: providing a mixed plastic waste stream having a variable ratio of 2D and 3D products, and a non-uniform, variable density distribution, the ratio of which varies over time; washing both the 2D and 3D portions of the mixed plastic waste stream together; shredding the mixed plastic waste stream while supplying a washing solution; separating the mixed plastic waste stream into at least two fractions based on density, the separation occurring according to a predeterminable density separation cut; and separating a 2D fraction and a 3D fraction from each other in at least one of the separated fractions. Providing a mixed plastic waste stream with a variable ratio of 2D and 3D products may mean that the provided mixed plastic waste stream is significantly more heterogeneous than conventional processes, and may even be subject to significant fluctuations in the individual ratios over time. The mixed plastic waste stream may be provided as a bale. The compressed plastic bales can be loaded onto a loading belt by a forklift, and the binding wire can be removed and transported to the hopper of a crusher or shredder, where the wire can optionally be left on the bale. It is conceivable that the washing of the mixed plastic waste stream can be carried out using only water. Compared to conventional processes, the washing of the mixed plastic waste stream can be carried out as a whole, so that 2D goods or films and 3D goods or hard plastics are pre-washed together. In contrast, it is known from conventional processes that these two fractions are washed separately.

[0012] The method according to the invention therefore has the advantage of being able to process mixed plastic waste streams with varying 2D / 3D ratios in the input. The combined processing of 2D and 3D products thereby results in significantly higher yields of all valuable material components for material recycling compared to processes known from the prior art. In addition, HDPE (high-density polyethylene) regrind, PP (polypropylene) regrind, and PO (polyolefin) film regrind can be recovered in the same process or in a single plant. Furthermore, in multi-stage implementations of the process, different polymer or thermoplastic grades can be recovered separately from each other.

[0013] In principle, 3D / 2D separation in LVP sorting plants occurs before crushing. In contrast, the present invention has the advantage that only the film / 2D can be separated from the hollow crushed material / 3D by shifting this process stage after the disintegration, concentration, and washing process steps. Fluctuations in the ratio of 2D to 3D in the mixed plastic stream do not cause any problems for the process.

[0014] The ratio of 2D and / or 3D products in the plastic waste mixed stream may also be detected, and the feeding parameters of the plastic waste mixed stream may be adjusted as a function of the detected 2D and / or 3D products. The ratio detection may be performed, for example, optically and / or gravimetrically. Adjustable feeding parameters may include, for example, the mass flow rate and / or the volumetric flow rate and / or the feeding rate of the plastic waste mixed stream. The variation range of the 2D or 3D fraction of the plastic waste mixed stream may essentially be between 0% and 100%. In normal operation, this range may be, in particular, between 20% and 80%, or between 30% and 70%.

[0015] Furthermore, the separation of the 2D article portion and the 3D article portion from each other may be performed after separating the mixed plastic waste stream into the two fractions.

[0016] Additionally, the separation of the plastic waste mixture stream into two fractions can be carried out after the plastic waste mixture stream has been washed and / or shredded. The shredding of the waste plastic mixture stream can be carried out in a wet mill, which may be provided for simultaneous use as a washing and cutting mill, especially for contaminated input materials. Water can be used as the washing liquid, which can be fed into the grinding chamber of the mill during the shredding process. Shredding while the materials are rubbing against each other allows for efficient cleaning. A gravity-assisted flow can be generated in the mill, for example by a feed pump, which allows for blockage-free transport without stoppages.

[0017] It is conceivable that the cleaning of the mixed plastic waste stream takes place before shredding of the mixed plastic waste stream. The fact that cleaning takes place before shredding and that shredding in a wet mill also includes an additional cleaning process of the mixed plastic waste stream can significantly improve the quality and yield of the subsequent process steps for separating plastic types by type and color, and contribute to minimizing losses. A further cleaning process of the mixed plastic waste stream can also be carried out after shredding of the mixed plastic waste stream.

[0018] Furthermore, the mixed plastic waste stream may be dewatered prior to separating the 2D and 3D article portions from each other. Dewatering may include mechanical and / or thermal dewatering.

[0019] Density-based separation of the plastic waste mixture stream can be repeated multiple times to concentrate the desired material fraction. Therefore, it is possible to envision the plastic mixture stream passing through several hydrocyclones in succession. The concentration of the crushed material is higher at the hydrocyclone's heavy particle outlet than at the light particle outlet. Therefore, the density of the second stage of the hydrocyclone can be set to be gradually lower or higher than that of the first stage. The hydrocyclone has an upper cylindrical segment with a tangential inlet and a lower conical segment with an underflow or apex nozzle. Furthermore, the hydrocyclone may have a vortex finder or overflow nozzle in the form of a dip tube that protrudes axially from the top into the cyclone's interior and terminates below the tangential inlet. The tangential inlet to the cylindrical segment forces the liquid into a circular path, causing it to flow downward in a downward vortex. The tapering of the conical segments causes volume to move inward, accumulate at the bottom of the cone, and form an internal upward vortex that leaks out through the vortex finder or overflow orifice. The objective is to separate particularly heavy fractions (such as solids) on the cyclone walls and discharge them through the underflow, while particularly light fractions are discharged through the overflow. Hydrocyclones can have vertical flows directed downward in the outer region (primary vortex) and upward in the inner region (secondary vortex). Particles that accumulate in these flows are therefore fed into either the upper or lower flow opening.

[0020] The mixed plastic waste stream can be fed into a centrifuge, in particular a hydrocyclone, to separate the two fractions. Hydrocyclones can be used to separate plastics according to density.

[0021] Furthermore, the predeterminable density for separating the mixed plastic waste stream is between 1 and 1.05 kg / dm 3 It may be adjustable between

[0022] Further, the separation into two fractions may include concentrating the light fraction in at least one first hydrocyclone and concentrating the heavy fraction in at least one second hydrocyclone. The hydrocyclones may be connected in series. For example, a first hydrocyclone may perform a first separation cut into a light fraction and a heavy fraction, and a light fraction hydrocyclone may be further provided to receive and further concentrate the light fraction, and / or a heavy fraction hydrocyclone may be further provided to receive and further concentrate the heavy fraction. The heavy fraction hydrocyclone may be a flat-bottom hydrocyclone.

[0023] In particular, the 3D part may comprise bulky plastic waste such as hollow bodies and the 2D part may comprise flat plastic waste such as films.

[0024] It is conceivable to carry out washing with water, whereby water is used as a washing medium when shredding the mixed plastic waste stream, the water in any case not containing any washing agents and / or flocculants.

[0025] In both cases, the washing and further cleaning of the mixed plastic waste stream can be carried out in the friction washer. Due to its inclined orientation, the mixed plastic waste or crushed material in the friction washer is transported from the bottom to the upper outlet by the screw shaft of the friction separator, and the cleaning process takes place during the transport from bottom to top. The fine powder, along with water, softened paper, etc., can be centrifuged out through a fine screen surrounding the screw shaft and discharged from the outlet. Additional water can be added directly through the inlet opening as needed. Provision can be made for the constant injection of fresh or clean circulating water to prevent the screen holes from clogging. Furthermore, periodic mechanical cleaning of the screen surface can be carried out.

[0026] Separation of 2D and 3D product fractions can be achieved by wind sorting. Individual particles can be separated based on the ratio of inertia and / or gravity to the flow resistance of the airflow. Fine particles, especially flat particles, follow the flow, while coarse particles follow mass forces. Wind sorters can separate lighter fractions, such as film and 2D, from heavier fractions, such as rigid plastics, hollow plastics, and 3D. It is also possible to separate two or more fractions from each other. Wind sorters can be designed as zigzag wind sorters. In this case, the washed and shredded plastic stream containing 2D and 3D products is fed via an airtight feeder into a zigzag wind sorting channel. In this channel, lighter materials are separated from heavier materials by multiple cross-flow sorting processes. The air required for separation flows from bottom to top through the wind sorting channel. Lighter particles are carried by the airflow. The heavier particles fall downward against the airflow and are discharged at the base of the sorter.

[0027] Additionally, the method for recycling plastics may include the following steps prior to washing the mixed plastic waste stream: pre-shredding the mixed plastic waste stream; separating heavy materials and impurities from the pre-shredded mixed plastic waste stream. Alternatively, washing may occur before pre-shredding.

[0028] The pre-shredding, particularly shredding, of the mixed plastic waste stream can be carried out when the mixed plastic waste stream is dry. The shredder can have a magnetic separator for ferrous materials and / or a non-ferrous separator for other metals, so that the corresponding materials are already separated during the shredding or pre-shredding process. The shredder can be equipped with a safety clutch that can immediately stop the shredder if large metal parts are present in the mixed plastic waste stream.

[0029] It is also conceivable that heavy materials are separated by a heavy material trap, whereby the heavy material trap has a sink-float separation, through which the heavy materials are separated. In the heavy material trap, the heavy materials or impurities can settle in the heavy material trap due to their high density and exist as sedimentary material. The low-density plastics can be discharged from the heavy material lift trap together with the liquid as a suspension and supplied for further processing. The plastics contained in the suspension can be, for example, polyethylene (PE) and / or polypropylene (PP) and / or polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

[0030] Additionally, separation of the biofraction can occur before separation of the heavy materials.

[0031] Additionally, separation of metal-containing materials can occur before separation of heavy materials. Magnets and non-ferrous separators can free the mixed plastic material from the metal components. The metals can then be returned to be recycled.

[0032] Additionally, pre-shredding of the mixed plastic waste stream may occur prior to shredding, and shredding may produce finer fragments than pre-shredding.

[0033] The process may further include a closed process water circuit without a continuous or periodic supply of fresh water, whereby washing, further cleaning and shredding of the mixed plastic waste stream can be integrated into the process water circuit.

[0034] In contrast to known processes, the present invention can provide NIR sorting for separation of plastic types and / or VIS sorting for color separation at the end of the process. The advantage is that only the washed regrind mixture passes through the NIR separation stage as a single load. This process allows for highly efficient separation of plastics according to grade. In this way, the risk of cross-mixing, which is otherwise always present, no longer exists. Separation of plastic types can include separation between polypropylene and HD polyethylene. Both fractions can be subjected to color sorting, respectively. Furthermore, both fractions can be sorted according to whether they are light, dark, and / or colored. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0035] Further details of the invention will be explained with reference to the following figures, which show: [Figure 1] 1 is a flowchart of a first embodiment of a plastic recycling method according to the present invention. [Figure 2] 3 is a flowchart of a second embodiment of a plastic recycling method according to the present invention. [Figure 3] 1A-1C are diagrams of exemplary interconnections of two hydrocyclones of different configurations. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0036] In the plastic recycling method for processing plastic waste shown in FIG. 1, a mixed plastic waste stream is first provided in a bale 100. This has a variable ratio of 2D products on one side and a variable ratio of 3D products on the other side. Furthermore, the mixed plastic waste stream has a non-uniform density distribution. The bale-shaped mixed plastic waste stream is fed to a shredder, where it is pre-shredded 110, where, in addition to pre-shredding the plastic exterior, metal-containing materials are separated 115 from the mixed plastic waste stream. The pre-shredded materials are then temporarily held (buffered) 117. A pre-wash screw is then used to wash and soak the mixed plastic waste stream, separating 120 sinking impurities such as stones, sand, or glass. In this process, the mixed plastic waste stream is fed to a pre-wash tank at the bottom of the pre-wash screw and forced into water by paddle rollers. The mixed plastic waste stream is then transported to the top by one or more screw conveyors. During transport, the materials undergo strong movement, allowing contaminants such as stones, sand, glass, and metal to sink easily. Furthermore, adhesives applied to plastics are submerged to allow for easier removal. Different discharge systems can be used depending on the type of contaminant. Simple and small contaminants, such as stones and glass, can be discharged through a time-controlled slide gate system. For large or long contaminants, such as wires, or large quantities of contaminants, scraper-type chain conveyors or screws can be used to discharge the contaminants. The plastic waste mixture is then fed into the first friction washer (200) for cleaning. Due to its inclined orientation, the plastic waste mixture or regrind in the friction washer is transported from the bottom to the top outlet by the screw shaft of the friction separator, where the cleaning process takes place. During this process, the fine powder, along with water and softened paper, can be centrifuged out through a fine screen surrounding the screw shaft and discharged through the outlet.The plastic waste mixture stream is then shredded 300 to a target particle size of material to be ground in a wet mill, where the plastic waste mixture stream is shredded by adding water while washing. Water is supplied to the mill's grinding chamber during the shredding process. The plastic waste mixture is then fed 200.2 to a second friction washer for re-washing. A hydrocyclone then separates the plastic waste mixture stream 400 into two fractions based on density. In the illustrated embodiment, the separation is at 1 kg / dm. 3 as a function of the density separation cutoff, where the density is 1 kg / dm 3 The heavy fraction, exceeding 1 kg / dm 3 The light fraction (less than 100%) is discharged to the top of the hydrocyclone. This removes the heavy fraction from the process, where it is subsequently first mechanically dewatered 500.1 and then thermally dewatered 500.2. The light fraction is then separated 600 into 2D and 3D fractions in an air separator, which separates the regrind based on the ratio of inertia and / or gravity to flow resistance of the gas stream. Fine particles of the ground material follow the flow, while coarse particles follow mass forces. Thus, in the air separator, the light fraction, including film or 2D, is separated from the heavy fraction, including rigid or hollow plastic or 3D.

[0037] The embodiment of the process according to the invention shown in Figure 2 has two differences compared to the process shown in Figure 1. First, in the embodiment according to Figure 2, the separation is performed at a rate of 1.05 kg / dm 3 The density is calculated as a function of the separation cutoff. Here, the density is 1.05 kg / dm 3 The heavy fraction exceeding 1.05 kg / dm is discharged to the bottom of the hydrocyclone. 3The light fraction less than 100000 is discharged to the top of the hydrocyclone. Meanwhile, after separation in the air sorter 600, separation of the plastic types 700 into the plastic types HDPE and PP is carried out by near-infrared (NIR) of the 3D hollow polyolefin fraction. They are then separately subjected to color sorting 800, where both plastic type streams are separated from each other into light, dark and colored fractions, for example by visible light (VIS) spectroscopy.

[0038] 3 shows an example of the interconnection of two hydrocyclones 10, 20 for recovering additional polymers during density-based separation 400 of a plastic waste mixture stream 1. The plastic waste mixture stream 1 is fed to the first hydrocyclone 10 and contains, for example, PE, PP, PS, PET, PP-T, ABS, and other components. In the example shown, the first hydrocyclone 10 is a conical hydrocyclone, which divides the plastic waste mixture stream 1 into a first light fraction 2 and a first heavy fraction 3. The first hydrocyclone 10 separates the first light fraction 2 and the first heavy fraction 3 at a density of 1 kg / dm 3 The first light fraction 2 thus contains, for example, PE and PP. The first heavy fraction 3 thus contains the remainder of the mixed plastic waste stream 1, i.e., PS, PET, PP-T, ABS and other components. The first light fraction 2 is then fed to a further step of the process, while the first heavy fraction 3 is fed to a second hydrocyclone 20, designed as a flat-bottom hydrocyclone, in which the density separation cut is up to 1.05 kg / dm 3 The process is carried out in a second hydrocyclone 20, where a second light fraction 4 is separated from a second heavy fraction 5. The second light fraction 4 contains PS, PP-T, and ABS, while the second heavy fraction 5 contains PET and other components. After passing through the hydrocyclone, all fractions 2-5 are fed separately to further process steps.

[0039] The features of the invention disclosed in the foregoing description, in the drawings and in the claims are essential for the realisation of the invention both individually and in any combination. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1. Mixed plastic waste stream 2. First light fraction 3. First heavy fraction 4. Second Light Fraction 5 Second Heavy Fraction 10 First Liquid Cyclone 20 Second hydrocyclone 110 Pre-crushing 115 Separation of metal-containing materials 117 Retention (Buffer) 120 Separation of heavy materials and impurities 100 Providing mixed plastic waste streams 200 Cleaning of mixed plastic waste streams 200.2 Further cleaning processes Shredding of 300 mixed streams of plastic waste 400 Density-based separation of a mixed plastic waste stream into at least two fractions 500.1 Mechanical dewatering 500.2 Thermal dehydration 600 Separation of 2D and 3D parts Separation of plastic types at 700 NIR 800 color selection

Claims

1. A plastic recycling method for treating plastic waste, comprising: providing a mixed plastic waste stream (100) having 2D and 3D products, the ratio of 2D to 3D products and the density of the products varying over time; washing 200 the 2D and 3D articles together from the mixed plastic waste stream; shredding 300 the 2D and 3D articles of the mixed plastic waste stream together while supplying a cleaning fluid; Separating the mixed plastic waste stream into at least two fractions based on density, the separation occurring according to a predeterminable density separation cut (400); In at least one of the separated fractions: separating (600) a fraction of the 2D article and a fraction of the 3D article from each other; detecting the proportion of 2D and / or 3D goods in the mixed plastic waste stream; adjusting the mass flow rate and / or volume flow rate and / or feed rate of the mixed plastic waste stream in response to the detected proportion of 2D and / or 3D products; Methods for recycling plastics, including:

2. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the separation (500) of the 2D and 3D product fractions from each other occurs after separating the mixed plastic waste stream into the two fractions.

3. 2. The method for recycling plastics according to claim 1, wherein the separation (400) of the mixed plastic waste stream into two fractions is performed after the shredding (300) of the mixed plastic waste stream.

4. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein washing (200) the mixed plastic waste stream occurs before shredding (300) the mixed plastic waste stream.

5. 2. The method for recycling plastics according to claim 1, wherein the operation (200.2) of further washing together 2D and 3D items of the mixed plastic waste stream is carried out after the mixed plastic waste stream has been shredded (300).

6. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the mixed plastic waste stream is dewatered (500) before the 2D and 3D product fractions are separated from each other (600).

7. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the dewatering comprises mechanical dewatering (500.1) and / or thermal dewatering (500.2).

8. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the density-based separation (400) of the mixed plastic waste stream is repeated multiple times to concentrate the desired material fraction.

9. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the mixed plastic waste stream is fed to a centrifuge and separated (400) into two fractions.

10. The predeterminable density separation cut for separating (400) the mixed plastic waste stream is between 1 and 1.05 kg / dm ３ 2. The method for recycling plastics according to claim 1, wherein the amount of waste is adjustable between 0.1 and 1.

11. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the separation into two fractions (400) comprises concentrating the light fraction in at least one first hydrocyclone and concentrating the heavy fraction in at least one second hydrocyclone.

12. 2. The method for recycling plastics according to claim 1, wherein the 3D product comprises bulk plastic waste and the 2D product comprises sheet-like plastic waste.

13. 2. The method for recycling plastics according to claim 1, wherein the 3D product comprises hollow plastic waste and the 2D product comprises film plastic waste.

14. 2. The method for recycling plastics according to claim 1, wherein the washing (200) is carried out with water, which is used as a washing medium in the shredding (300) of the mixed plastic waste stream, and the water does not contain any detergents and / or flocculants.

15. 2. The method for recycling plastics according to claim 1, wherein the washing (200) and the further washing (200.2) of the mixed plastic waste stream are each carried out in a friction washer.

16. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the separation (600) of the 2D and 3D fractions is performed by air sorting.

17. Prior to washing (200) of the mixed plastic waste stream, Pre-shredding (110) the mixed plastic waste stream; Separating heavy materials and impurities from the pre-shredded mixed plastic waste stream (120).

2. The method for recycling plastics according to claim 1, comprising:

18. 18. The method for recycling plastics according to claim 17, wherein the pre-shredding (110) of the mixed plastic waste stream is carried out when the mixed plastic waste stream is dry.

19. 20. The method of claim 17, wherein the separation of heavy materials (120) is performed by a heavy materials trap, the heavy materials trap comprising a sink-float separator for separating the heavy materials.

20. 18. The method of recycling plastics according to claim 17, wherein the separation of heavy materials (120) is further preceded by the separation of the biofraction.

21. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the separation of heavy materials (120) is further preceded by the separation of metal-containing materials (115).

22. 20. The method of claim 17, wherein pre-shredding (110) of the mixed plastic waste stream occurs before shredding (300), and shredding (300) produces smaller fragments than pre-shredding (110).

23. 10. The method for recycling plastics of claim 1 further comprising a closed process water circuit without a continuous or periodic supply of fresh water.

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