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18 line items in process order, each with its tag, specification, quantity, power and an indicative unit price.
30 t pit-less weighbridge · 1 t platform scale · ticket printer
Weighs every inbound truck and bale so suppliers are paid by net weight and grade.
1.5 t/h · breaks 200–400 kg bales · infeed chain conveyor
Opens compressed bottle bales into loose bottles without crushing them flat.
1–1.5 t/h · rotor with replaceable knives · 95 % label removal
Strips PP/OPP sleeves and paper labels from whole bottles before sorting.
12 m × 1 m belt · 8 picking stations · chutes to colour bays
Pickers separate bottles by polymer and colour and pull out PVC, metal and rejects.
1.2 t/h · 800 mm rotor · hydraulic ram · 40 mm screen
Pre-cuts bulky HDPE/PP rigids such as crates, jerricans and drums before granulating.
1 t/h · 12 mm screen · water spray · D2 steel knives
Grinds bottles and pre-shred into 10–12 mm flake while water pre-washes it.
3 m³ SS304 tank · 85 °C · 1.5–2 % NaOH · paddle agitator
Removes glue, oils and residues from flake in hot caustic solution over 12–15 minutes.
1,000 rpm inclined screw · counter-flow rinse · SS304 screen
Scrubs flake at high speed and rinses off caustic and loosened dirt.
6 m × 1.2 m · paddle rollers · bottom screw discharge
Separates by density: PET sinks while PP/HDPE caps and labels float off the top.
500 kg/h steam · 8 bar · briquette/wood-chip fired · cyclone
Heats the hot-wash tank through a steam coil using low-cost biomass fuel.
1 t/h · horizontal rotor · leaves < 2 % surface moisture
Spins water off wet flake mechanically before thermal drying.
36 kW heaters + 7.5 kW blower · 1 t/h · zig-zag air classifier
Dries flake below 1 % moisture and blows out residual label fragments and fines.
12 m³ SS silo · agitator · 1 t jumbo-bag frame with scale
Buffers dried flake and fills jumbo bags for sale or for the extruder.
SJ150 · 450 kg/h rHDPE/rPP · double vacuum vent · continuous screen changer
Melts, degasses and filters flake through a self-cleaning screen into clean strands.
Die-face water-ring cutter · centrifugal dryer · vibrating screen
Cuts melt at the die face into uniform 3–4 mm pellets and dries them.
15 m³ silo · pneumatic conveying · 25 kg and 1 t bagging with scale
Blends pellets into homogeneous lots and bags them for dispatch.
10 m³/h DAF · lamella settler · sludge filter press · 20 m³ reuse tank
Cleans process water so over 85 % is recirculated and only compliant effluent leaves.
Melt flow indexer · moisture analyser · pH/TDS meters · hot-plate PVC test
Tests every lot for melt flow, moisture and contamination before release.
Indicative ex-works prices (US$, 2026) for budgeting a sample project, not quotations. Photos are illustrative of each machine class.
12 unit operations in order, with the equipment that performs each and its control point.
| Step | Operation | Equipment | Control point |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Receive, weigh & break balesTrucks are weighed in, bales are graded and logged by supplier, then opened in the bale breaker. | WB-101 Weighbridge & Platform ScaleBB-102 Twin-Shaft Bale Breaker |
Weight ticket · bale grade & moisture check |
| 02 | Label removalWhole PET bottles pass through the knife rotor that strips sleeves and paper labels.Labels → PP/HDPE line | LR-103 PET Label Remover |
Label removal ≥ 95 % · knife gap weekly |
| 03 | Manual sortingPickers sort by polymer and colour and remove PVC, metal, glass and non-target plastics.Rejects → disposal | SC-104 Manual Sorting Conveyor (Picking Line) |
Belt audit per shift · PVC bottles zero |
| 04 | Shredding & wet granulatingRigids are pre-shredded and all material is wet-ground to 10–12 mm flake. | SH-201 Single-Shaft ShredderGR-202 Wet Granulator (Crusher) |
Screen 12 mm · knife gap 0.3–0.5 mm |
| 05 | Hot caustic washingFlake is agitated in 85 °C caustic solution to dissolve glue and strip oils and residues. | HW-301 Hot Caustic WasherBL-304 Biomass Steam Boiler |
85 ± 3 °C · NaOH 1.5–2 % · 12–15 min |
| 06 | Friction washingTwo high-speed friction washers scrub and rinse the flake in counter-flow water. | FW-302 High-Speed Friction Washer |
Rinse water pH < 9 · screen condition |
| 07 | Float-sink separationIn water PET sinks and is screwed out; floating PP/HDPE caps and labels are skimmed off.Floats → PP/HDPE line | FS-303 Float-Sink Separation Tank |
Float skim every 30 min · tank water change |
| 08 | Wash-water treatmentDirty water is clarified by DAF and settling and returned to the washers and granulator.Sludge → disposal | WT-701 Wash-Water Treatment (DAF & Settling) |
Reuse water TSS & pH · effluent COD weekly |
| 09 | Dewatering & dryingFlake is spun, then hot-air dried while the zig-zag classifier removes fines and label bits.Fines → paver makers | DW-401 Dewatering CentrifugeTD-402 Hot-Air Pipe Dryer & Zig-Zag Separator |
Flake moisture < 1 % |
| 10 | Flake QC & storageDried flake is lot-sampled, then bagged for sale (PET) or sent to extrusion (HDPE/PP). | SI-403 Flake Buffer Silo & Big-Bag FillerQC-801 QC Lab (MFI, Moisture, Contamination) |
PVC < 50 ppm · moisture · colour per lot |
| 11 | Extrusion & melt filtrationHDPE/PP flake is melted, vacuum-degassed and filtered through a continuous screen changer. | EX-501 Single-Screw Degassing Extruder |
Melt temp & pressure · screen ΔP · vent vacuum |
| 12 | Pelletise, bag & dispatchMelt is cut into pellets, dried, blended in the silo and bagged into 25 kg or 1 t lots. | PL-502 Water-Ring Pelletiser & Pellet DewateringSL-601 Pellet Silo & Jumbo-Bag Filling Station |
MFI per lot (ISO 1133) · pellet moisture < 0.2 % |
6 zones arranged for one-way material flow, with every item of equipment placed by tag.
DAF and settling return over 85 % of wash water, cutting make-up to about 1.5–2 m³ per tonne.
PET and HDPE/PP run in campaigns, and PET-line caps and labels feed the pellet line.
Double vacuum venting and a continuous screen changer give low-gel pellets without stopping to change screens.
A biomass steam boiler heats the hot washer for a fraction of the cost of electric heating.
Every jumbo bag carries a lot code linked to its supplier bales and lab results.
Weighbridge tickets and mass-balance records support recycling credits under PRO schemes.
The core routines operators follow, from start-up to batch release.
7 sections: open any one to read it, or download the whole document.
Mzunguko Polymers Ltd is a plastic recycling plant in Athi River, Machakos County, processing 1 tonne per hour of post-consumer PET bottles and HDPE/PP rigid plastics. A hot-wash line produces clean PET flake for fibre, strapping and export buyers, while a degassing extruder turns HDPE/PP flake into recycled pellets for Kenyan converters. The plant buys from its own buy-back centres, aggregators and EPR-funded collection schemes.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Input Capacity | 1 t/h · ≈ 400 t/month (2 shifts) |
| Output | ≈ 310 t/month flakes + pellets (≈ 78% yield) |
| Annual Revenue (Year 1) | KES 194,000,000 (~$1.49M) |
| Initial Investment | KES 75,000,000 (~$577,000) |
| Break-even | Operating break-even Month 5; payback ≈ Month 30 |
| Employees | 42 (plus ~300 collectors in the supply network) |
| Stage | Process | Purpose | Equipment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Weighing & Bale Breaking | Pay by net weight, open bales | 30 t weighbridge, twin-shaft bale breaker |
| 2 | Label Removal | Strip sleeves and paper labels | PET label remover (≥ 95% removal) |
| 3 | Manual Sorting | Separate by polymer and colour, remove PVC and metal | 12 m picking line, 8 stations |
| 4 | Shredding & Granulating | Reduce to 10–12 mm flake | Single-shaft shredder, wet granulator |
| 5 | Hot Washing | Dissolve glue, remove oils and residues | Caustic washer at 85 °C, biomass boiler |
| 6 | Friction Washing | Scrub and rinse off caustic | 2 high-speed friction washers |
| 7 | Float-Sink Separation | PET sinks, PP/HDPE caps float | 2 separation tanks |
| 8 | Dewatering & Drying | Moisture below 1%, remove fines | Centrifuge, hot-air dryer, zig-zag classifier |
Feedstock is the main cost (about 58% of operating spend), so the plant runs a mix of its own collection points, aggregator contracts and producer-funded schemes to keep supply steady and prices predictable.
| Source | Share of Input | Price Paid (KES/kg) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Own buy-back centres (6 in Nairobi estates) | 30% | 15–25 (loose) | Cash or M-Pesa to waste pickers; baled on site |
| Aggregators & dealers | 40% | 30–38 (baled, delivered) | Graded bales under supply contracts with quality penalties |
| EPR / PRO schemes (e.g. KEPRO) | 15% | 25–32 + recycling credit | Producer-funded collection; credits per tonne recycled |
| Hotels, malls, institutions | 10% | 10–20 | Source-separated bottles under collection agreements |
| Post-industrial scrap | 5% | 40–60 | Clean HDPE/PP regrind from converters |
| Parameter | PET Bottle Bale | HDPE/PP Rigid Bale |
|---|---|---|
| Target polymer | ≥ 90% | ≥ 85% |
| PVC | 0 visible items | 0 visible items |
| Moisture & free liquids | < 5% | < 5% |
| Non-plastics (stones, metal, paper) | < 3% | < 5% |
| Bale weight | 200–400 kg | 150–300 kg |
| Licence / Obligation | Authority / Law | Timeline | Cost (KES) |
|---|---|---|---|
| EIA Licence (full study report) | NEMA, under EMCA 1999 | 3–4 months | 0.1% of project cost + ~350,000 expert fees |
| Licence to Operate a Waste Recycling Facility | NEMA, Sustainable Waste Management Act 2022 | 1–2 months | ~50,000/year |
| Waste Transport Licences (per truck) | NEMA | 1 month | ~15,000 per truck/year |
| Effluent Discharge Licence | NEMA, Water Quality Regulations | 1–2 months | ~30,000/year |
| EPR registration & reporting | NEMA, EPR Regulations 2024 (via PROs) | 1 month | Membership fee |
| Workplace Registration & boiler certificate | DOSHS, OSHA 2007 | 1 month | ~40,000 |
| Single Business Permit | Machakos County | 2 weeks | ~60,000/year |
| Parameter | PET Flake (hot-washed) | rHDPE / rPP Pellets | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moisture | < 1% | < 0.2% | Every lot |
| PVC content | < 50 ppm | — | Every lot |
| PP/PE content | < 100 ppm | — | Every lot |
| Labels / paper / glue | < 20 ppm | — | Every lot |
| Metal | < 20 ppm | No visible specks | Every lot |
| Melt flow index (ISO 1133) | — | HDPE 0.3–1 · PP 8–20 g/10 min | Every lot |
| Intrinsic viscosity | ≥ 0.72 dl/g | — | Monthly (external lab) |
Scope note: Flake and pellets are sold for non-food applications. Food-contact rPET would need an additional decontamination (super-clean) stage and regulatory approval.
| Item | Cost (KES) | ~US$ |
|---|---|---|
| Washing line (bale breaker to dryer, incl. boiler) | 21,250,000 | 163,500 |
| Extrusion & pelletising line with pellet silo | 15,200,000 | 117,000 |
| Wash-water treatment (DAF, settler, filter press) | 4,950,000 | 38,000 |
| Weighbridge & QC lab | 3,250,000 | 25,000 |
| Freight, clearance & installation | 6,500,000 | 50,000 |
| Civil works (floors, drains, sumps, bale yard roof) | 8,500,000 | 65,400 |
| Power connection & 630 kVA transformer | 5,000,000 | 38,500 |
| Forklift & collection truck | 4,500,000 | 34,600 |
| Licences, EIA & commissioning | 1,350,000 | 10,400 |
| Working capital (1 month of feedstock) | 4,500,000 | 34,600 |
| Total | 75,000,000 | ~577,000 |
| Product | Volume (t/month) | Price (KES/kg) | Revenue (KES) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hot-washed PET flake | 190 | 72 | 13,680,000 |
| rHDPE / rPP pellets | 110 | 108 | 11,880,000 |
| Mixed flake & fines (paver makers) | 10 | 20 | 200,000 |
| EPR recycling credits | 300 | 4 | 1,200,000 |
| Total | 310 | — | 26,960,000 (~$207,000) |
| Item | Monthly (KES) |
|---|---|
| Feedstock (400 t at ~KES 32/kg) | 12,800,000 |
| Electricity (~140,000 kWh) | 3,360,000 |
| Biomass fuel, caustic, detergent, DAF chemicals | 1,150,000 |
| Staff salaries (42 employees) | 1,700,000 |
| Collection logistics & buy-back centres | 1,100,000 |
| Rent & rates | 600,000 |
| Maintenance, knives & screens | 550,000 |
| Sludge disposal, licences & insurance | 350,000 |
| Admin, sales & marketing | 400,000 |
| Total Monthly OPEX | 22,010,000 (~$169,000) |
| Year | Utilisation | Revenue (KES) | EBITDA (KES) | EBITDA Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 60% | 194,000,000 (~$1.49M) | 19,600,000 | 10% |
| Year 2 | 80% | 259,000,000 (~$1.99M) | 39,500,000 | 15% |
| Year 3 | 90% | 291,000,000 (~$2.24M) | 49,400,000 | 17% |
Payback: cumulative EBITDA covers the KES 75M investment around Month 30 (pre-tax).
Industry estimates put Kenya's plastic waste at 0.5–1 million tonnes a year, with formal recycling below 10%. The Sustainable Waste Management Act 2022 and the 2024 EPR Regulations now make producers pay for collection and recycling of their packaging, which lifts feedstock supply and adds a per-tonne credit for accredited recyclers. Demand for recycled resin is rising as converters seek cheaper alternatives to imported virgin polymer (KES 180–220/kg) and brand owners set recycled-content targets.
| Tier | Definition | Value (KES) |
|---|---|---|
| TAM | East African demand for recycled PET, HDPE and PP (flake + pellet) | 25 billion |
| SAM | Nairobi / Athi River converters, fibre makers and PET flake export | 6 billion |
| SOM (Year 3) | Mzunguko share at ~5% of SAM (≈ 3,350 t/year) | 291 million |
| Segment | Product | Use | Share of Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polyester fibre & strapping makers | PET flake | Pillow/mattress fill, strapping, sheet | 30% |
| Export buyers (India, Middle East) | PET flake | Fibre and sheet | 20% |
| Household goods & crate moulders | rPP / rHDPE pellets | Buckets, basins, crates, chairs | 30% |
| Pipe, conduit & jerrican makers | rHDPE pellets | Non-pressure pipe, conduit, jerricans | 15% |
| Paver makers & EPR credits | Mixed flake, credits | Pavers, PRO payments | 5% |
| Player | Positioning | Weakness |
|---|---|---|
| Established pellet recyclers (e.g. Mr. Green Africa) | Traceable rHDPE/rPP for brand owners | Capacity booked by large contracts |
| Informal grinding yards | Unwashed regrind at low prices | High contamination, no MFI data, no licences |
| PET flake exporters | Cold-washed flake to Asia | Lower grade, price-taker on export markets |
| Paver and lumber makers | Mixed plastics into building products | Low-value outlet, compete for feedstock |
Mzunguko differentiation: hot-washed flake and filtered, degassed pellets with a lab certificate for every lot, plus EPR-grade traceability from bale to bag that brand owners and PROs can audit.
| Month | Milestone | Owner | Dependency |
|---|---|---|---|
| M1 | Lease industrial site, submit EIA study report | MD | Site with water, sewer and 3-phase power |
| M2 | Equipment order (30% deposit), power upgrade application | MD | Financing closed |
| M3–M4 | Civil works: floors, drains, sumps, DAF tanks, bale yard roof | Plant Manager | EIA licence issued |
| M3–M5 | Open 6 buy-back centres, sign aggregator and PRO contracts | Procurement Lead | Waste transport licences |
| M5 | Equipment arrives; installation with supplier engineers | Plant Manager | Transformer energised |
| M6 | Commissioning trials, recycling facility and effluent licences | Plant Manager | NEMA inspection |
| M7 | Commercial production at 50%, first customer lots approved | Sales Lead | Customer trial results |
| M12 | Two-shift operation at 70–80% utilisation | MD | Feedstock at 300+ t/month |
| Risk | Impact | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|
| Feedstock shortage or price spikes | High | Own buy-back centres, PRO contracts, one week of bale stock |
| Contaminated bales lowering yield | High | Bale grading at the weighbridge, price penalties, supplier training |
| Recycled resin prices fall with oil and virgin prices | Medium | Lot-quality premium, domestic customers on 6-month price bands |
| Power outages and tariff increases | Medium | Genset for safe extruder shutdown, off-peak scheduling, rooftop solar in Year 2 |
| Effluent non-compliance | High | DAF and settling, weekly COD/TSS tests, licensed sludge handler |
| Shredder, granulator and caustic accidents | High | Guard interlocks, lock-out/tag-out, PPE and DOSHS training |
| Currency swings on imported equipment and spares | Medium | Fixed-price contracts, local knife sharpening, spares held on site |
Equipment specifications, process flow diagrams, recipes and the business plan, bundled as one download.
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