Closed-Loop Scrap Program: Factory Scrap to Feedstock

What the program is and who can join

The program is open to plastics converters that buy ordinary virgin resin on the market, from any supplier. You do not need to buy resin from ACS. You need production scrap of known polymer that you can keep separate, for example:

Injection moulding: runners and sprues, rejected parts, start-up lumps
Extrusion and blow moulding: purgings, start-up lumps and rejects
Film extrusion: edge trim and roll ends

The first rule has not changed: if scrap can be ground and fed back into the same machine, do that first. It is the cheapest option and needs no transport. This program is for the scrap you cannot reuse yourself: colour-change material, start-up lumps that are hard to grind, edge trim that causes gels when fed back, or volumes too large to blend back without affecting your spec.

How it works in 7 steps

Scrap travels from the partner's machines to ACS's Circular plant and comes back as pellets, or becomes feedstock for other Circular grades. Every leg is weighed and recorded.

Scrap is segregated by polymer at the machine, weighed on its way to the ACS Circular plant, and comes back as pellets (closed loop) or becomes feedstock for other grades (open loop). Schematic, not an actual plant layout.

Apply and send scrap details Polymer and original grade, colour, monthly quantity, photos, and how the scrap is stored today.
Evaluation and sample trial ACS reviews the details and runs a trial on a real scrap sample to see what kind of pellet that stream can become.
Written rules Source-segregation rules (separate bins by polymer and colour, nothing else mixed in), the pickup or delivery schedule, and how the scrap is valued. All agreed case by case.
Intake at the ACS Circular plant Every delivery is weighed and documented.
Reprocessing at the Circular plant Sorting check, degassing, melt filtration, and formulation or re-stabilisation.
Pellets back, or onward use Pellets returned with test results against an agreed specification (closed loop), or used in other Circular grades (open loop).
Records for the partner Weight records of scrap diverted from landfill or incineration, plus traceability data for your own ESG reporting or customer questions.

Recycling line in the ACS Circular plant — The line in the ACS Circular plant where partner scrap is reprocessed · Photo from ACS's plant

For what happens in step 5 and which properties are checked on each lot, see From flakes to pellets & lot QC.

Three ways to take part

A

Closed loop

Your scrap comes back as pellets for your own parts, to an agreed spec, with test results on every lot. Suits a steady stream of one polymer.

B

Supply your scrap

ACS takes the scrap as feedstock for its Circular grades. Suits plants that do not need pellets back but want the scrap used rather than dumped.

C

Mixed / offset

The value of your scrap is offset against recycled pellets or masterbatch you order from ACS.

Commercial terms for every model, including how scrap is valued, logistics, quantities and frequency, are agreed case by case in writing. That is why this page has no prices or volumes: every plant's scrap differs in polymer, cleanliness and distance.

Which scrap fits

We start with clean, single-polymer PIR, beginning with PP and PE (HDPE, LDPE/LLDPE). Other polymers are evaluated case by case.

Real examples: well-segregated scrap

Scrap like this is quick to evaluate and usually passes: one polymer, one colour, clean, with a known source.

Black injection runners in a jumbo bag — Black runners, bagged by colour, no other polymer mixed in · Real photo, not AI-generated

White off-spec injection parts in a jumbo bag — White injection rejects, kept separate right at the machine · Real photo, not AI-generated

White plastic spools in a jumbo bag with a weight tag — White spools with a weight tag on the bag, so weighing and records match · Real photo, not AI-generated

Blue spools in a jumbo bag tagged with polymer type and weight — Bag tagged with polymer (ABS) and weight. Polymers outside PP/PE are evaluated case by case, but tags like this help a lot · Real photo, not AI-generated

White sheet skeleton trim tied in bundles — Sheet skeleton left after cutting parts, tied in bundles: easy to move, no dust · Real photo, not AI-generated

Used clear stretch film in a jumbo bag — Clear stretch film, dry, no labels or tape mixed in · Real photo, not AI-generated

Real examples: scrap we need to discuss first

Not a "no", but we need to see a sample first, and it is usually worth less than scrap segregated at source.

Regrind with many colours mixed — Mixed-colour regrind only suits dark colours. Separating colours before grinding keeps more value · Real photo, not AI-generated

Runners of several colours in one bag — White, grey, black and blue runners mixed. One bag per colour at the machine widens what they can be used for · Real photo, not AI-generated

Clear thermoformed trays in a jumbo bag — Clear trays like these may be PET, PVC or PS; you cannot tell by eye, so the polymer must be stated or tested · Real photo, not AI-generated

White rolls wrapped in plastic bags — Off-spec rolls wrapped in bags: the bag may be a different polymer from the roll and must be removed · Real photo, not AI-generated

General guidance. Acceptance depends on the evaluation of each plant's samples.
Scrap type	Usually OK?	Notes
PP / PE runners, sprues and rejected parts	Yes	Keep separate by polymer, grade and colour. Remove metal inserts, labels and parts of other polymers first.
Single-layer PE edge trim and roll ends	Yes	Keep dry and free of dust and soil. Heavily printed film needs discussion first.
Start-up lumps and purgings	Sometimes	Must be one polymer. If a purging compound was used or several colours are mixed, it needs evaluation first.
Other polymers, e.g. PS, ABS, PET, PA	Case by case	Depends on volume, cleanliness and the end use.
Multilayer films and laminates	Case by case	Layers of different polymers, such as PE/PA or PE/PET, do not melt into one homogeneous material.
Scrap contaminated with oil, chemicals or food	No, or discuss first	Leaves odour and volatiles in the pellets and may need washing before reprocessing.
Scrap mixed with metal, paper or labels	No, or discuss first	Blocks melt-filter screens and makes ash content swing. Re-evaluate if it can be separated at source.
PVC	No	If it gets into PP / PE it degrades at extrusion temperatures and ruins the whole lot.

Pellet quality is decided at the bin beside the machine. Separate, clearly labelled bins by polymer and colour, with lids against dust and water, do more than any sorting later on. More on sorting principles in Sorting & preparation.

What partners get

Less scrap to store and dispose of: less floor space taken by scrap piles, and that scrap stays out of landfill and incineration.
Part of your raw material comes back as recycled pellets: the cost effect depends on the case, including scrap value, transport and how much you can blend. Try your own numbers in the Cost-in-Use Calculator.
Data for ESG and brand-owner questions: weight records of the scrap sent into the program and traceability data, so you can answer waste-management questions with your own plant's real figures.
A feedstock source you know: your own scrap has a known polymer, grade and heat history, so the pellets are steadier than recyclate of unknown origin.

What to know before you join

Read before you apply

Recycled content: whether the returned pellets count as "recycled content" depends on the standard and the claim. ISO 14021 does not count material reclaimed within the same process that generated it, so closed-loop pellets that go back into the same parts may not qualify. Any claim must follow the rules your brand owner uses. ACS provides weight records and traceability data; it does not certify. See PIR vs PCR.

Capacity: Circular grades are made in ACS's own plant (up to 3,000 t/year, being expanded), so partner intake is planned within the capacity available.

Quality: pellet quality depends on segregation at source. If scrap is mixed, the pellets will be less consistent or only suitable for less demanding parts.

Terms: ACS buys or uses scrap only under a written agreement. This page does not promise free pickup, a purchase price or any intake volume.

Frequently asked questions

Do we have to buy resin from ACS to join?

No. The program is open to converters that buy virgin resin from any supplier. What you need is production scrap that can be kept separate by polymer, and the willingness to segregate it at the machine according to the rules we agree.

Can the pellets we get back be counted as recycled content on a label?

It depends on the standard and the claim. ISO 14021 does not count material reclaimed within the same process that generated it, so closed-loop pellets that go back into the same parts may not qualify as recycled content. Any claim must follow the rules your brand owner uses. ACS provides weight records and traceability data, not certification.

Does ACS collect scrap for free, or how much does it pay?

There is no fixed figure. How the scrap is valued, pickup or delivery, quantities and frequency are agreed case by case in writing, depending on polymer, cleanliness, monthly volume and distance. ACS buys or uses scrap only under a written agreement.

Our scrap is already mixed. Can we still join?

Mixed scrap is hard to separate back into clean streams, and the pellets made from it are less consistent. The effective fix is to start segregating by polymer and colour at the machine from now on. For the pile that is already mixed, send details and photos for assessment first: some may suit less demanding parts, some may not be suitable at all.

Technical caution

Let-down ratios and technical data on this page are typical reference values, not a guarantee of properties. Confirm by trial in your own process before production use.

Scrap you can't reuse? Send the details for an assessment

Tell us the polymer and grade, colour, monthly quantity and how the scrap is stored now, with photos. Our technical team will tell you which model that stream fits and how it should be segregated. No commitment.

Apply to join LINE @advancedchem

“From back-of-plant scrap
to front-door feedstock”

What the program is and who can join

How it works in 7 steps