PCR Material Recycling Process: Core Stages & Certification

2025-12-05

The Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) material recycling process is a systematic workflow designed to transform used plastic items into reusable raw materials. It involves several critical stages to ensure quality and sustainability. Collection & Sorting begins with gathering post-consumer plastics such as packaging and bottles, which are then categorized by polymer type and thoroughly cleaned to remove non-plastic contaminants. Next, Shredding mechanically crushes the cleaned materials into smaller fragments to facilitate efficient further processing. During Melting & Purification, shredded plastics are heated under controlled temperatures until molten, while impurities are filtered out to enhance material purity. The Pelletization stage then extrudes the purified molten plastic into uniform pellets, ready for reuse in manufacturing. Certification Requirements ensure compliance with international sustainability standards like the Global Recycled Standard (GRS). To achieve certification, the final product must contain a minimum threshold of PCR content (e.g., 20%). The process includes traceability audits and verification of the entire recycling chain’s integrity, guaranteeing transparency and environmental accountability.