Background: Mr. Ahmet Öztürk, a 35-year-old with a diploma in agricultural engineering, started his plastic recycling business in 2023 in Izmir’s Selçuk district—a rural agricultural area known for olive and cotton cultivation. His 650-square-meter small workshop employs 8 workers, focusing on processing agricultural plastic waste (mulch film, fertilizer bags, pesticide containers) collected from local farmers. Izmir generates over 6 tons of agricultural plastic waste daily, much of which is dumped in farmlands, reducing soil fertility and harming olive crops—this violates Turkey’s Agricultural Environmental Protection Act. As a former agricultural extension officer, Ahmet wanted to address this pollution while building a profitable business. He sought a high-efficiency Plastic granulator to handle wet, high-moisture agricultural waste, as Izmir’s Mediterranean climate brings frequent rainfall, making raw materials difficult to process. A high-efficiency Plastic granulator was the key to his business’s success.
Plastic granulator
The Challenge
Mr. Ahmet faced three major hurdles. First, due to rainfall and dew, the agricultural plastic waste had a high moisture content (up to 15%), which caused air bubbles in recycled particles and a low qualification rate of just 67%—making the particles unsellable for high-value applications. Second, the traditional Plastic granulator he used had a low processing efficiency of 230kg/h, which was unable to keep up with his 5.5-ton daily raw material collection, leading to raw material backlogs. Third, Izmir’s rural areas experience occasional power outages, forcing him to rely on generators—this boosted his operating costs by 29%. Additionally, the mulch film used in olive cultivation is tough and difficult to crush, further reducing efficiency. Local Plastic granulator suppliers offered no solutions for wet waste, leaving him struggling to scale his business.
The Solution
We provided Mr. Ahmet with a TL-350 high-efficiency Plastic granulator, customized for Izmir’s agricultural environment and rural power conditions—it is popular among Turkey’s agricultural recycling businesses. The specific configuration of this granulator includes:
- High-efficiency drying system with a thermal sensor, which reduces raw material moisture content to below 3% and eliminates air bubbles in recycled particles with the granulator.
- Screw with a length-diameter ratio (L/D Ratio) of 1:36, enhancing plasticization and increasing processing efficiency to 500kg/h with the Plastic granulator.
- Energy-saving electromagnetic heating system, cutting unit energy consumption by 25%, which reduces generator usage costs for rural areas with thegranulator.
- Built-in voltage stabilization module and backup power interface, ensuring stable operation even during power outages (170V-400V), minimizing downtime for the granulator.
- High-power crushing system (24KW) that easily crushes tough mulch film, improving processing efficiency and reducing wear on the granulator.
Plastic granulator
The Results
After 4 months of operation, the Plastic granulator delivered exceptional results. The processing efficiency of the granulator surged from 230kg/h to 506kg/h—a 120% improvement—allowing Mr. Ahmet to process all daily raw materials without backlogs using the granulator. The drying system of the granulator boosted the qualification rate to 98%, with PP/PE particles that are transparent and impurity-free, suitable for agricultural packaging. The unit energy consumption of thegranulator decreased by 25%, saving him 52,000 TL per month in electricity and generator costs. He signed long-term supply contracts with 2 local agricultural packaging companies, increasing his monthly income by 78% (from 13,000 TL to 23,140 TL). “This Plastic granulator is efficient and reliable—no air bubbles, no downtime, and it saves me money on electricity. It’s a game-changer for my business,” Mr. Ahmet said. His business was also recognized by the Izmir Agricultural Department for reducing farmland pollution.
FAQ
Q1: Can this Plastic granulator handle wet agricultural plastic waste from Izmir’s rainfall? A1: Yes, the built-in drying system processes raw materials with up to 16% moisture content, eliminating air bubbles.
Q2: Is the granulator suitable for rural areas with occasional power outages? A2: Yes, the voltage stabilization module ensures stable operation during power fluctuations and outages.
If you operate a plastic recycling workshop in Izmir’s agricultural areas, have you faced issues with wet raw materials or power outages? How did you resolve them? Leave your comment below!
