Agricultural film recycling starts in the field, not at the washer. Mulch film, greenhouse film, silage film and irrigation products can carry soil, stones, crop residue, moisture, twine and chemical residue. The amount and type of contamination determine collection economics, saleable yield, equipment wear, water treatment and the final recycled-material specification.
Identify the agricultural plastic stream
| 개울 | Typical process concern | Information to record |
|---|---|---|
| Mulch film | Soil, stones, plant residue and thin torn pieces | Polymer, thickness, recovery method and dry contamination |
| Greenhouse film | Large sheets, clips, dust, UV exposure and mixed covers | Film construction, colour, service age and attachments |
| Silage film and stretch wrap | Organic residue, moisture, odour and netting | Resin, collection condition and incompatible materials |
| Irrigation pipe or tape | Rigid fittings, emitters, soil and different polymers | Product construction and whether it needs a separate line |
| Bags and twine | Woven PP, strings and product residue | Keep separate from PE film where the buyer requires it |
Do not combine these products merely because they come from one farm. A buyer may accept a defined PE film blend but reject PP twine, PVC, biodegradable film or heavily degraded material.
Source collection controls process cost
Allow film to drain and remove loose soil during retrieval where safe and permitted. Keep loads protected from unnecessary rain and separate by known product type. Baling improves transport only when it does not compact stones, metal or unknown products into an unsafe block.
The FAO’s 2025 Voluntary Code of Conduct on the sustainable use and management of plastics in agriculture notes that soil, moisture, plant residues and hazardous substances can limit recycling. It promotes safe collection and material-specific processing rather than one universal approach.
Test contamination on a dry basis
A statement that agricultural film contains a fixed percentage of soil is not reliable across regions or seasons. Sample representative loads and separate water from dry contamination:
- weigh the received sample;
- determine moisture using a documented method;
- separate polymer, soil, stones, organics, metal and other plastics;
- report each fraction against dry input where appropriate;
- retain photographs and link the result to supplier and collection date.
This feed audit sets the expected reject load and saleable yield and prevents water from being mistaken for recyclable polymer.
Recommended process flow
- Inspection and opening: identify prohibited loads and open bales under controlled conditions.
- Dry removal: release loose soil, stones and metal before they enter water and cutting equipment.
- Size reduction: cut film to a stable washable form without creating excessive fines.
- Prewashing: separate heavy grit and loosened solids early.
- Friction washing: scrub film surfaces and release remaining target contamination.
- Rinsing and separation: manage water quality and a defined float/sink split.
- 기계적 탈수: remove free and surface water with equipment suited to flexible flakes.
- Densifying and pelletizing: prepare material for extrusion only after it meets feed requirements.
Remove soil before intensive washing
Sand and stone increase wear in shredders, granulators, pumps, screws and screens. Dry shaking, trommel screening or another validated pre-cleaning stage can reduce the load on the water loop. The best configuration depends on film size, moisture and whether soil is loose or folded into the material.
Measure the mass of dry rejects and inspect their polymer loss. Aggressive pre-cleaning that sends usable film out with soil may reduce saleable yield even if downstream water looks cleaner.
Choose shredding and wet granulation from trials
Light film can bridge in a hopper and wrap rotating parts. A low-speed shredder can open large sheets and bales; a granulator can provide a controlled particle size. A staged system may be justified for bulky, dirty feed.
Wet granulation introduces water in the cutting chamber and can begin loosening contamination. It also adds a water and solids load. Compare knife wear, fines, throughput and downstream cleaning using the actual film. See the wet versus dry crushing guide.
Design washing around contamination, not slogans
Prewashers and sink-float tanks should remove heavy solids before high-speed friction washing where practical. Friction intensity, residence, screen openings and water quality influence cleaning. Oil or agricultural chemical residue may require a separate risk assessment and validated chemistry.
Do not assume that washing makes unknown chemical containers or contaminated film safe. Define prohibited feed and follow local waste, wastewater and worker-protection requirements.
Control water, sludge and polymer loss
A water-recirculation system needs screens, settling or other solids removal matched to the contamination load. Reusing dirty water without control can return fines and soil to the film. Track fresh-water makeup, suspended solids, sludge mass and polymer in the sludge.
Provide safe sludge removal, dewatering and disposal. The plant’s environmental permit and discharge limits determine treatment requirements; an equipment vendor cannot set one global water-use figure.
Dewater light film before thermal drying
A centrifugal dryer, screw press or film squeezer may be used according to particle form. A 플라스틱 필름 압착기 removes water and increases bulk density, improving handling into a buffer or pelletizer.
There is no universal “below 5%” target. Agree final moisture, bulk density, sampling point and test method with the downstream process. Additional cooling or drying may be necessary before storage or extrusion.
Pellet quality begins before the extruder
Extrusion and melt filtration cannot correct severe polymer mixing, soil, moisture or degradation. Define allowable PE or PP blend, ash, moisture, colour, odour, melt flow and filtration with the buyer.
UV exposure and field service can change material properties. Qualify the pellets in their intended application rather than assuming that visually clean film will reproduce virgin-material performance.
Size capacity from saleable dry output
Dirty wet input is not final output. Use a mass balance from representative trials:
Required wet input = target saleable dry output ÷ dry-polymer fraction ÷ process recovery ÷ planned availability
Keep the assumptions separate. A wetter or dirtier load raises received tonnes without increasing polymer. Verify the sustained capacity of pre-cleaning, washing, water treatment, dewatering and extrusion on the same feed.
인정 시험 체크리스트
- defined agricultural film mix and contamination sample;
- dry mass balance of polymer, soil, rejects and saleable output;
- particle size, fines, ash and remaining contamination;
- incoming and final moisture using an agreed method;
- fresh-water makeup, sludge and wastewater quality;
- complete-line electricity per accepted dry tonne;
- stoppages, wear observations and operator interventions;
- buyer qualification of flake or pellets.
자주 묻는 질문
일반적으로 농업 필름에 얼마나 많은 토양이 들어 있나요?
일반적인 비율은 없습니다. 작물, 수집 방법, 기후, 필름 두께, 저장 방법에 따라 다릅니다. 공급 흐름을 각각 샘플링하여 건조한 오염물을 보고하십시오.
농업 필름이 직접 펠렛화기에 들어갈 수 있나요?
Usually not when it carries soil, moisture, plant residue or mixed materials. It needs sorting, appropriate cleaning, dewatering and feed qualification first.
mulch film, greenhouse film, silage wrap를 한 줄 처리할 수 있나요?
분리된 캠페인에서 가능하지만, 먹이, 씻기, 건조 및 출력 품질이 시험을 통해 확인된 후에만. 제품 구조 및 오염은 다른 설정이나 장비가 필요할 수 있습니다.
Send collection data with the film sample
Provide Energycle with film types, collection method, representative contamination, wet and dry mass data, monthly supply and output specification. The PP/PE 필름 씻기 라인 can then be configured around the real soil, water and yield balance.
