11 things we WISH we knew when starting Plastic Recycling

[@BrothersMake]

🚀 To try everything Brilliant has to offer for free for a full 30 days, visit brilliant.org/BrothersMake/ 🎉 You'll also get 20% off an annual premium subscription. Supporting our sponsors helps keep us in the workshop, saving more plastic from becoming pollution 🤙🏽

[@BOMBERY63464]

Put cement powder in melted plastic 👍🏿

[@diii8840]

I will always appreciate how often you guys make videos for absolute beginners.

[@mustafahalukyilmaz102]

Greetings from Precious Plastic Turkey. Thank you for a great educational video. There are valuable tips for recyling plastic. We need to find a cheap solution for stubborn label residues. WD40 + Aceton is not a cheapset solution to get rid off these residues. I have been collecting empty plastic engine oil cans from several car services in the area where I live for a few months. I use big mesh bags and pre cut plastics into small pieces before washing. I use a a washing program with 80 Celcius at least 1.5 hr .However i am happy with the results. I know that industry uses caustic soda (drain cleaner chemical ) for plastic cleaning. But this might not be the ideal solution to breathe toxic dangerous fumes while caustic soda react with residues. We all know that HDPE bottles are made with blowmolding method.and also HDPE bottle caps are made with injection method. That is where the mfi or grades changes as you mentioned. I use 30cmx40cm Heat press and i can mix any grade of hdpe without issue. However precious plastic injection machine might not handle only blowmolding grade HDPE. Also i would like to mention that there is similar issue in PP (5) Plastic chairs may contain calcite for extra durability to the material. However that effects the purity and the grade of the PP (5). I love your works from the begining. Keep inspiring the commuity. ✌

[@andrewgalbreath2101]

My favorite way to remove labels, or adhesive after using a heat gun, is to cut off the affected sections into sheets as flat as possible, and then let them soak overnight in a shallow basin of mineral spirits. The next morning it all wipes off easily

[@johngriffith744]

I don't want to make product, BUT I love your channel, your ethos, and the difference that you are helping to inspire. Great work

[@PreciousPlasticRomagna]

Very valuable video! I studied the matter about different additives added to the various kinds of HDPE and I also discovered that some bottle caps aren't injected but rather compression molded on a very fast machine (you can distinguish them because they lack the tiny injection point on the top), and so the melting index is lower, similar to the blow molded one. I also started collecting everything I could find, and I regretted it. Even if I can inject the thicker kind of HDPE and PP with my hydraulic injection machine, the cleaning process involved in bottles is wasting a lot of time. I keep just the brighter/"rare" colors and throw the rest. Also some people carried very dirty plastic and since I'm working on the project in my spare time it happened that I had bags of stinky plastic... Did you know what the smell of decomposed yoghurt/cheese/mayonnaise is? Unfortunately I do...😂😂🤮🤮 Love your ability in videomaking, brilliant! Keep going!

[@jackfrost1031]

Plastic engineer here. Your comment about bottles v caps has to do with the viscosity. Anything that has been injection molded into thin parts, like the caps, will likely have a similar low viscosity material. Blow molding produced bottles (like the soap bottle) will be in the middle and thick wall sheets or pipes will have very high viscosities. It has to do with the intended processes for the material in the first place. This is why mechanical recycling is so difficult!

[@darthbuzz1]

Salmon... posh word for pink. Excellent job re-using old plastic. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

[@johnharder5618]

Nice video I recycle plastic to make fishing plugs I make the plugs in 2 pieces and epoxy the sides together I made molds out of Aluminum metal With the shape carved into the mold A air pocket is pressed into the plastic by the mold Then sand the seams , paint and add hardware

[@Bo-kq8tn]

This sounds awesome. Have you tried heat welding the halves together? Or does the epoxy work better in this case?

[@johnharder5618]

@@Bo-kq8tn I have not tried heat welding I have not tried tried heat welding Next batch will be made in a month or so and I hope try heat welding those

[@SalmanKhan-e3t5m]

I am from Pakistan and your video reached Pakistan in 21 second Lots of love from Pakistan❤

[@Lorddanielrushton371]

Great tips. Thank you for these. It's really nice to see two brothers working together for the world good. My brother and I would have tried to panni press each other's hands.

[@johnharder5618]

Nice video A 20 ton Air over Hydraulic press makes pressing the molds a lot easier As I recycle HDPE to make fishing plugs

[@jovenc4508]

Have y'all thought about something like a taffy puller hook for stretching and twisting the plastic?

[@Wang_Thunder]

That's pretty much the opposite of what you want. Taffy pulling works by aerating the soft candy until it increases in size and takes on the translucent color. Not only does this introduce a ton of air into the candy, but it also begins to cool much faster.

[@Bo-kq8tn]

@@Wang_Thunder Exactly this. I would be curious for them to try some ceramic clay wedging techniques on it though, movements designed to get air bubbles out and create a homogenous mixture. In the multicolored plastics case I think it would probably make some extremely fine colored lines.

[@jovenc4508]

​​@@Wang_Thunder Except he explicitly stated in the video that stretching and twisting plastic is different from making candy.

[@lostvisitor]

It would be interesting to know How many KW of power, How many gallons of water, and how many labor hours go into one of those coaster.

[@Syroed777]

Good question!!!

[@kumardigvijaymishra5945]

It's a lot. And unless there is clear profit margin, I don't recommend this business, unless there is a great government grant.

[@lostvisitor]

@@kumardigvijaymishra5945 The stuff that would really work they refuse to do. The stuff that don't work they pay for.

[@DevinJuularValentine]

I started collecting and recycling plastic because of your videos, although I was in a band so it was making guitar picks - I used metal washers to regulate thickness and was able to make pride flag coloured picks by placing cut single colour strips next to each other. I'm a luthier now, so I want to make a ukulele completely out of recycled plastic.... Just thinking through how you'd get a strong bond at joints

[@lilamiller3326]

Your pink hoodies are perfect for breast cancer awareness month! 🩷

[@home-bodyz]

Wonderful. Very inspiring. Thank you 😀

[@JMFuller227]

Awesome video, gents! Thanks for sharing all the helpful info you’ve picked up along the way! And is that a Hand Tool Rescue wrench I see you all using on your press at 15:13? If so it’s awesome that you all are also supporting other KZbinrs as well! He’s another one of my favorite channels! Cheers fellas!

[@daniel1117]

I love this video! It has answered so many of my questions Thank You!

[@PhenduPhendu]

Am from eswatini am looking forward starting this business

[@WongBant]

Thank you for the education and experience in every knowledge given. Always be successful

[@BabulHossa-hc6ki]

🇧🇩🇧 বাংলাদেশ থেকে দেখছি,,,আপনাদের ভিডিও দেখে আমার ভালো লাগে।🥰

[@CTCTraining1]

Great work guys 😀👍 Would be interested to see if any of those Flow Enhancers designed for recycled plastic really help bridge the gap between the bottle caps and the bottle bodies you were demonstrating.

[@SoPea]

I love that you added a little Easter Egg in there with the Meaning Of Life 😉

[@BrothersMake]

Yes! Someone noticed :)

[@jeffmastin]

When i lived in the beach area of Ecuador i noticed literally tons if plastic lining the beach, except much had become brittle in the sun. Was wondering if the sun damaged waste can be used fir anything

[@Bo-kq8tn]

I wonder about UV degraded plastics too. The polymer chains /mollecule bonds have gotten broken by the UV light, and I'm not sure if it's in a way where those ends would stick together again if heated up. I want to see someone try though!

[@hexdef6423]

Hdpe is still viable

[@sharkattack1979]

Awesome to see how far you have come guys 👏👏👏

[@kumardigvijaymishra5945]

13:33 Rather use a vertical clamp. Strong clamping force helps in removing air bubbles as well. Thanks for a gr8 video.

[@gerradanania8270]

Great information brothers make💚

[@3rconsejosdereciclaje]

❤ saludos desde ecuador 🇪🇨

[@cecilomar]

Have you ever tried a heat press like the ones used to press HTV on shirts? I have one and have been meaning to try. I'm looking into melting HDPE and PLA. I think that that having heat from only one side might not be as ideal as a panini press though.

[@TurtleDudeProd]

I’d like to know if they tried that as well. I used one myself to make some inserts for a cooler. I work in a restaurant and got some of the empty fryer oil jugs and brought home and cut out sheets from them. Cleaned them really well with some dawn (cuz it gets rid of grease obviously) And I used my little heat press to basically laminate several sheets into one thicker sheet. Then I cut and shaped it and drilled small holes. And now they fit perfectly in my little cooler so I can keep my food above the ice!

[@Yash-c3v]

1. Have you ever tried flash-cooling the plastic? 2. Any alternatives to teflon? Hate the thought of forever chemicals, esp if 573k subs start buying them :D

[@nathanaelcard]

Have you experimented with waffle irons? Seems like that form factor might be pretty sturdy

[@AndyCPugh]

Great tips guys.

[@IAmBoredToTheMaximum]

This is a very cool channel

[@richardokeeffe8375]

You guys are the best!

[@Kristian_theDane82]

You guys are true legends 👍😄 i've learned a lot, from watching your videos 😊 Also, i have a fair amount of plastic lids, for future projects 😁

[@WillShepherd-b4f]

I’m going to make some resin for my recycling ♻️ project. Do you have any suggestions or tips on what to use for materials please?

[@garagemonkeysan]

Great video. Informative. Mahalo for sharing.

[@zodd0001]

You are great, guys !

[@YeloPartyHat]

Great video brothers!

[@FrznFury27]

Have you done any research into the microplastic phenomenon? Does recycled plastic shed more? Less?

[@lawrenceshaban5382]

Do you think you could recycle the plastic into 3D printer filament? Feel like you could use that to make a menagerie of products or just sell the filament itself?

[@Syroed777]

There many videos on this are on the KZbin!

[@jobethk588]

Great video!

[@nunyabitnezz2802]

In the USA they don’t put identifiers on bottle tops.

[@dread2462]

how do you go about making sturdy, high pressure wooden molds, ive been doing this for about 18 months now and i had an idea for something on the bigger side

[@HunterSeth]

What are those black mats you put in the Panini press?

[@DHM_Creative]

I want HDPE marble counter tops now 🤘🏽😆♥️

[@AndyChannelle]

Presumably a heat press used for HTV would work for melting?

[@HogwartsBasement]

The stamp test only works on thin plastics as if you were to stamp on a HDPE box it will shatter

[@Defeshh]

great stuff

[@enricotosco]

Fantastico veramente vorrei tanto emularvi, bravi bravi!!! Quanta energia serve? Ad esempio per 100g di materiale?

[@cheeserdane]

Have you guys worked out how to make string from bottles yet?

[@BabulHossa-hc6ki]

রয়েল প্লিলাগ তৈরী করে দেখাবেন। প্লিজ,,,

[@foragedarts2037]

what are your absolute rarest colors for hdpe? would you make something out of them for a video? i know you said in your axe video orange was rare but i'm curious what other colors arent common for you

[@BrothersMake]

Rarest colours are pink, orange, yellow and gold! Would make for an exciting project!

[@philsbbs]

a great video.

[@FrznFury27]

Have you noticed any changes in UV or other stability with recycled material?

[@victoriazwergmaus9813]

Washing machine with soape ore just water?

[@leoneventicinque6731]

It seems to me that so far the most valid system of recycling plastic is to produce filament for 3D printers. Producing new "general purpose" objects does not seem to be the best choice, unless you make Lego bricks.

[@rapache1]

How are you saving the planet when you use all these chemicals and electricity. Recycling ♻️ is an amazing idea

[@chrismayer8990]

What kind of gloves are these and what kind of black foil are they? It should remain a frequently asked question! 🤪

[@BrothersMake]

😂😂

[@bokunochannel84207]

be careful washing/cleaning plastic from cleaning supplies. if you accidentally mixed a different type of cleaner, it can create hydrogen and chlorine gas.

[@Severene42]

Where do you get your metal molds?

[@kumardigvijaymishra5945]

They can be easily made in workshop

[@MarkNopeJustMark]

Big up the salmon brothers 🐟

[@BrothersMake]

😂😂

[@lindashine5575]

I am seeing so many things made of silicone these days, but no one says what it's end of life is. Can it be recycled?

[@D-B-Cooper]

How does your ledger for energy used to resources saved look?

[@BrothersMake]

All our energy comes from renewable means, so pretty good!

[@D-B-Cooper]

@@BrothersMake even your car? I hope you are not considering solar and wind as renewables because they never break even.

[@BrothersMake]

Nope not our car, but the energy that powers our workshop. Buying a new electric car would be vastly less sustainable than utilising what we already have. But we do aim to always collect materials on the way to and from other tasks.

[@hexdef6423]

Isopropyl alcohol, and boiling water takes most labels off

[@magnusE7]

Dishwasher works also and those bags. So you do not need a washing machine.

[@angelashort1331]

How much in the way of fumes is messing with the body ?

[@karamsingh6980]

What gloves are you esing?

[@karamsingh6980]

I am collecting some plastic as well I am going to try it, mut my patents won't allow me to use an oven so I am going to try a charcoal grill. Thanks guys.

[@mh3708]

Careful about using a grill - they get to very high temperatures very quickly, which burns your plastic and releases toxic fumes. Instead, go to a thrift store and get a secondhand toaster oven, countertop roaster, panini press, etc. Something that allows you to set the temperature is ideal. And just use that only for plastic.

[@karamsingh6980]

@@mh3708 me15,me no money, but i have a thermometer, i will just use a burned out grill to keep the plastic melted and use a press/iron to melt it, thanks for worrying, but do you know the gloves they are using?

[@DawnDavidson]

@@karamsingh6980they said they are silicone gloves. Check baking supply stores.

[@FXPearStudio]

Plastic is never truly recycled (such as aluminum for example). At maximum, you are just postponing its destiny - sea or landfill.

[@BrothersMake]

We disagree, but thanks for the comment

[@FXPearStudio]

@@BrothersMake I'd love to know your point on view on this matter. - by no means I think what you do is lesser. Just matter of buzz works labeling wrong and green wash the real problems to make us feel better.

[@Syroed777]

Please made press-form for tile, which use in a bathroom!

[@Bo-kq8tn]

cool thought, but really not practical. Polyethylene is much more prone to scratches than glass, stone, ceramic, etc. That's a problem when you need to clean it by scrubbing, or if you drop something on it or scuff it. Also not sure how it would perform with any kind of grout, it's hard to glue things to polyethylene besides more polyethylene

[@kaf2303]

I applaud your recycling efforts but This video thoroughly explains why plastic is not recycled at the levels plastic mfgs claim it can be, it is not practical! A better solution is stop using single use plastic at the very least!

[@pinaz993]

Have you looked into environmentally friendly methods of plastic destruction? After all, there are definitely many tons of plastic that cannot be recycled easily.

[@Tom_Neverwinter]

can you cotton candy machine this? like dr stone

[@creative_mindsrus1541]

I dont see how plastic is "being recycled" when it's in our oceans

[@PsyllyCymon]

0:57 Just like the local council, but they only accept plastic they can make money from.

[@RakhiThakurRakhi-l5x]

Can you please recycle plastic shampoo bottle

[@desiredemeneghi7698]

Seven minuts

[@dazer123]

I would not like your electricity bill

[@ge2719]

Yeah they definitely need more efficient ways of heating the plastic. Even the heat gun for the labels seems excessive.

[@chlorophyllheart]

Good thing solar is around. All recycling of plastic requires heat. It's much better than the plastic in the environment, in plants and animals, and sitting in landfill wasting space.

[@kumardigvijaymishra5945]

To remove labels, just put them in solar oven during hot days. I really suggest using solar and wind energy for recycling as much as possible. This will reduce energy bill and make your recycling business profitable.

[@user-xyuser666]

Спасая планету от пластика, вы столько загрязнении сделали своими электроприборами и автомобилем, что смысла в этом нет. Найдите себе нормальное увлечение, а не разгребание чужих проблем.

[@BrothersMake]

Our workshop is powered by renewables. And we collect plastic on the way to and from our workshop, or people donate it to locations close to them. Please don’t assume facts!

[@argylemanni280]

The 12th thing is it's shortening your lifespans but you're "getting that bag" so well done kings. Party hard, breathe microplastics, no regrets.

[@mariamejia7740]

Whatever you are breathing I don’t want it.

[@BrothersMake]

Someone didn’t stay for the safety tip 🤪

[@meadowsz5390]

Awesome! What a great updated beginners guide!!!! 💙🤍💚