4. SHREDDING
After sorting (or crushing for larger parts of the pipette tip boxes) the plastic is ready for the next stage—shredding. This is where the real transformation begins, turning bulky waste into usable material that can be reshaped into new products.
At JunkLabz, we use an industrial shredder to reduce the plastic into small, uniform flakes. Our shredder is the Shredder Pro from Citizen Scientific!
To shred, we carefully feed the crushed plastic into the shredder. Safety is a priority here, as the machine’s powerful rotating blades are designed to handle tough, thick plastics. From larger items like storage bins to plastic pipette boxes from research labs, our shredder can tackle it all.
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Shredding is an essential step because it ensures material consistency. The shredder’s blades cut through the plastic with precision, chopping it into uniform shreds. By controlling the shred size, we can ensure smoother melting, better molding, and ultimately, more durable and refined finished products. The goal is to create material that’s easy to melt down and reshape, making the right shred size key to a successful process.
Once shredded, the plastic flakes are ready for the melting and molding process. These tiny pieces are the building blocks of everything we create —whether it’s furniture, keychains, or custom art!! From here, the plastic is heated, shaped, and transformed into something new and purposeful.
Check out some of the color blends we make by mixing the shreds...
