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Virginijus Counts On Lindner’s Shredding And Washing Expertise For Big Bag Recycling

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Virginijus Counts On Lindner’s Shredding And Washing Expertise For  Big Bag Recycling  

Since 2001, the Lithuanian recycling company Virginijus ir Ko in  Plunge has been collecting, sorting and processing recyclable materials from trade, commerce and  agriculture. In 2023, the innovative company commissioned a Lindner Washtech facility to turn big  bags into high-quality pellets that can then be reprocessed back into big bags as part of the circular  economy.  

The Virginijus ir Ko recycling plant in western Lithuania has been active in waste management and recycling for more than 20 years, processing around 35,000 tonnes of potential recyclables annually. The majority of the  materials to be recycled are waste products from agriculture. ‘We have been working with materials from the  agricultural sector for years, including agricultural film and large amounts of big bag waste. Back then there  was no recycling facility for big bags in Lithuania or nearby countries. That’s what motivated us to invest in this  area and recycle these materials locally. However, we soon realised that recycling big bags is a very complex  issue,’ explains Virginijus Skublickas, Managing Director at Virginijus ir Ko, ‘but we didn’t give up and found  the right partner for this task in Lindner Washtech.’ 

Big bags are usually made of polypropylene (PP) and are extremely tear-resistant, hard-wearing, cut- and  scratch-resistant – these are all properties that make the recycling process very demanding. In the first shredding stage the machiners have to handle tough materials with care and precision, ensuring high throughputs and being resistant to non-shreddables. The entire process chain must be precisely  coordinated to keep the fine particles content, which would result in material loss, as low as possible and to  guarantee a high level of material purity. 

‘As with many plastic recycling processes, the first shredding stage is the most important for big bag recycling.  Thanks to its robust drive and safety clutch, the Micromat series shredder is particularly powerful and resistant  to non-shreddables. The Micromat’s cutting system is also specially designed for big bag shredding. Special knives and an easily adjustable counter knife ensure high productivity,’ says Tomas Kepka, Head of Sales  Eastern Europe at Lindner Washtech GmbH. In the subsequent process steps, the main focus is on gently  removing any remaining impurities and drying the material,’ adds Kepka. The ‘Rafter‘ pre-wash system  patented by Lindner Washtech, with its low speed of approx. 60 rpm, is the ideal machine for removing e.g. stones and sand. Up to 90% of all dirt and contaminants can be extracted in this first washing step. In the  subsequent processes, the pre-washed and opened big bag flakes can be processed much more gently,  avoiding material losses due to fine particles. 

Following cleaning, the material must be optimally prepared in the drying unit for the extrusion process. ‘When  drying big bag materials, we use the mechanical dryer from the Loop Dryer series. It is equipped with special  tools that prevent high stress on the material due to friction. The dryer also has a frequency converter so that  the speed can be adjusted and controlled accordingly,’ explains Kepka.

The big bag facility at Virginijus was commissioned in 2023 and has now been producing high-quality PP  granulate for a good six months. The entire facility consists of a shredding and washing system, a process  water treatment system and an extrusion system with odour decontamination. ‘In Lindner Washtech, we found  a partner who was able to offer a perfectly coordinated all-in-one design with many reference systems, from  shredding to washing and drying. Lindner Washtech has been a reliable partner throughout the entire planning  process, right through to commissioning and service. We would definitely choose a facility from Lindner  Washtech again,’ adds Skublijckas. 

Lindner Micromat 2500 

Thanks to the robust drive and the safety clutch the   Micromat series shredder is particularly powerful and   resistant to non-shreddables. The Micromat’s cutting  system is also specially designed for big bag shredding.   Special knives and an easily adjustable counter knife  ensure high productivity. Big bags are usually made of polypropylene (PP) and are  extremely tear-resistant, hard-wearing, cut and scratch resistant – all properties that place special demands on  the recycling process. The answer: an all-in-one solution from Lindner Washtech consisting of a shredding and  washing system and a process water treatment system. 

Lindner Washtech facility for big bag recycling 

In 2023, Virginijus commissioned a Lindner Washtech  system for processing big bags and has now been producing high-quality PP granulate for six months.  

https://www.lindner-washtech.com/

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