Rethinking recycling
At the Green World Compounding (GWC) facilities we do not only recycle plastics. We rethink process, and together with our customers and partners, we continuously strive to improve the operational process.
Today, GWC is a leading company in the recycling of agricultural plastic. Our more than 100 workers, are devoted to recovering and upvaluing plastic waste, transforming it into raw material for the manufacture of new applications.
And we support agricultural companies by providing comprehensive waste management that ensures the traceability, from collection to final certification.
GWC Smart Recycling
GWC's business model is based on the concept of circular economy. Our approach to recycling turns an essential problem, the generation of plastics in the agricultural sector, into an environmental solution, giving an infinite life to plastic. We have been doing this since 1992.
Quality and supply chain efficiency at every step of the process
Our circular approach is reflected at every step of the GWC SmartRecycling process – and it’s designed to ensure the highest possible levels of operational efficiency.
Collection
Non-reusable plastic items become part of the set of raw materials that are collected by the recycling sector.
These materials arrive in the form of bales, rolls, boxes and crates, containers, pallets, bags ...
Selection
Impurities (such as labels, wires, soil, wood, stones ...) are separated from plastic materials, matched up according to their typology, properties and application.
Grinding
The pieces are shredded and / or ground by shredders and / or grinders into smaller and more manipulable pieces that allow their post processing.
In some cases, the resulting regrinds or flakes can be sold directly in that form or after undergoing the following washing / drying process.
Washing / Drying
Much of the plastic materials must undergo a washing process using industrial water tanks.
PE and PP are less dense than water and, therefore, are separated from impurities by rotation.
At the end of the washing process, the resulting moisture is removed from the flakes or regrinds by means of hot air centrifuges.
Extrusion
By means of an extruder, the dry flakes or regrind is melted, subjected to vacuum and filtered.
Finally, before cooling to room temperature, it is given the form of pellets suitable to be used by the different plastic transformation processes: extrusion, injection, blowing...
Homogenization
The pellets are stored in silos, where it will be mixed by a mechanical process, until the material is homogeneous in color, texture and behavior.
Analytics
An homogenized sample of material is extracted from each lot / silo.
These samples are analyzed in the laboratory to determine its properties and verify that it is suitable for the transformation process for which it is intended.