Glossary.
The most important terms in plastic recycling, briefly explained.
- Compound
- Plastic that has been specifically mixed with other plastics, fillers or additives to achieve certain properties. At KRM, this is done with mixing and dosing units on the extruders. More
- Extruder
- A machine that melts plastic with a heated screw and forces it through a die. A cutter head cuts the strand into granulate. KRM currently operates three extrusion lines. More
- ISCC PLUS
- International certification system for sustainable and circular raw materials. It makes the path of recycled raw materials through the supply chain traceable. KRM is certified. More
- Mechanical recycling
- Also known as material recycling. The plastic is ground and remelted while its molecular structure is preserved. KRM uses this method. More
- Melt flow index (MFI)
- A measure of how well a plastic melt flows, given in g/10 min. Important for choosing the processing method.
- Off-grade
- Virgin material that narrowly misses a specification, for example in colour or melt flow index. Fully usable for many applications and cheaper than prime material. More
- Polyolefins
- The plastics family of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). It includes LDPE, HDPE, PP, PPC, PPH and PP/PE blends. More
- Post-Consumer (PCR)
- Plastic that has already been used and comes from the collection of used products, such as packaging. More
- Post-Industrial (PIR)
- Plastic waste from production, such as start-up material, edge trims, reject parts or scrap. Usually single-variety and clean.
- RecyClass
- European initiative on the recyclability of plastics. The Recycling Process Certificate confirms a company’s recycling process. KRM is certified. More
- Recyclate
- Umbrella term for recycled plastic, i.e. regrind, regranulate and compounds made from recycled material.
- Recycling code
- Identification of the plastic type in the recycling triangle: 02 HDPE, 04 LDPE, 05 PP, 06 PS, 07 other and blends. More
- Regranulate
- Regrind that has been melted in the extruder and formed into uniform pellets. It replaces virgin material in plastics processing. More
- Regrind
- Plastic ground into flakes in granulators. Regrind is either a finished product or the preliminary stage for regranulation. More
- Shredded material
- Coarsely broken-down plastic after shredding. The granulator turns it into regrind.
- Single-variety
- The material contains only one type of plastic. Purity of type determines the quality of the recyclate. KRM processes single-variety, clean plastics. More
- Thermoplastic
- Plastic that softens when heated and can be melted and reshaped again and again. That is why it can be recycled mechanically.
- Toll processing
- A customer has their own production scrap processed and receives it back as regrind or granulate. The material remains the customer’s property. More
- Virgin material
- Plastic produced from raw materials for the first time, also called primary material or prime.
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