Recycled PVC granulate — often called PVC regranulate or recyclate — is polyvinyl chloride recovered from production scrap or end-of-life products and reprocessed into clean, uniform pellets that feed an extruder or injection-moulding machine just like new material. For a large share of construction and technical products, it does the same job as virgin PVC at a lower cost and with a markedly smaller environmental footprint.
PVC is one of the most recyclable mass-produced plastics: it is thermoplastic, so it can be re-melted and reformed many times, and it is reprocessed well below its decomposition temperature. Plast Commerce has manufactured PVC compounds since 1992 and operates its own recycling and granulating line in Bulgaria (EU). This guide explains what recyclate is, how it is made, how we control its quality, and when it is the right choice — and when it is not.
Virgin vs Recycled vs Compound: the terms that matter
Buyers often hear “regranulate”, “recyclate” and “recycled compound” used loosely. The distinction is practical and affects what you can expect from the material:
Virgin PVC
Recycled PVC (regranulate)
Recycled PVC compound
In short: recyclate is the raw recovered polymer, regranulate is that recyclate cleaned and re-pelletised, and a recycled compound is regranulate re-stabilised and blended to hit a guaranteed specification. The more processing and quality control behind the pellet, the closer it behaves to virgin material — and the more reliably it drops into your line.
How PVC is mechanically recycled
The overwhelming majority of recycled PVC is produced by mechanical recycling — physically reprocessing the polymer without breaking it back down chemically. The chain runs from waste to ready-to-use granule in four stages:
Collection & sorting
Post-industrial offcuts and post-consumer PVC are sorted by polymer type and, where needed, by rigid vs flexible and by colour. Separating PVC from other plastics is critical — even small amounts of PET, PP or PE disrupt processing.
Grinding & cleaning
Sorted material is shredded and milled into regrind, then cleaned to remove dust, labels, metal and other contaminants. Metal detection and density/air separation protect both the material and the downstream tooling.
Compounding
The clean regrind is re-stabilised and blended with heat stabilisers, lubricants, fillers and modifiers to restore processing behaviour and hit the target hardness, colour and thermal stability. This is the step that turns waste into a usable compound.
Granulating & QC
The compound is melted and pelletised into uniform granules (typically 3–5 mm), cooled, screened and tested. Each batch is checked against the specification before it ships with a Certificate of Analysis.
The single most important factor across the whole chain is feedstock control. Clean, well-sorted post-industrial scrap of known origin yields a near-virgin compound; mixed, unsorted post-consumer waste needs far more cleaning and stabilisation to reach the same result. This is exactly why where the material is recycled — and by whom — matters as much as the recycled label itself.
Quality control: what we test in recyclate
Recycled does not mean unpredictable. A serious recycler measures the same core parameters as for virgin compound, plus contamination checks specific to recovered material:
| Parameter | Typical Values | Why It Matters | Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| K-value | K57–K70 | Confirms the recyclate is genuine PVC of the expected molecular weight | ISO 1628-2 |
| Shore hardness | 50–90 Shore A (flexible) / 65–85 Shore D (rigid) | Must match the target application after blending | ISO 868 |
| Thermal stability | Min. 60 min at 180°C | Reprocessed PVC must still withstand extrusion without degrading | ISO 305 / ISO 182 |
| Contamination | Visually clean, no foreign polymers/metal | Foreign material causes defects, gels and tool damage | Visual + metal detection |
| Moisture content | Max. 0.3% | Excess moisture causes bubbles and surface defects | ISO 585 |
| Bulk density | Approx. 500–650 kg/m³ | Affects dosing, feeding and transport | ISO 60 |
Two practical points for buyers. First, ask for a Certificate of Analysis (CoA) per batch — recyclate without batch data is a gamble. Second, request a trial sample and run it on your own line before committing to volume; feeding behaviour, melt and colour consistency are best confirmed on your tooling.
Rigid vs flexible recycled compound
Just like virgin material, recycled PVC splits into rigid (unplasticised) and flexible (plasticised) families. The recycling route is similar; the application set differs:
Rigid recycled PVC
Flexible recycled PVC
A common and efficient use of recyclate is the core layer of co-extruded products: recycled compound forms the hidden inner layer for strength and bulk, while a thin virgin or UV-stabilised skin handles weathering and appearance. You get most of the cost and sustainability benefit without compromising the visible surface.
When recycled is the right choice — and when it is not
Well suited to recyclate
- ✓ Construction profiles and accessories
- ✓ Formwork tubes and tie-rod accessories
- ✓ Garden, irrigation and drainage hoses
- ✓ Drainage and sewer pipes
- ✓ Core layer of co-extruded profiles and cladding
- ✓ Cable conduit and technical mouldings
Use certified virgin PVC instead
- ✗ Food and drinking-water contact
- ✗ Medical devices
- ✗ Pressure pipes for potable water supply
- ✗ Clear or pure-white visible profiles
- ✗ Safety-critical electrical insulation
The dividing line is essentially purity and traceability. Where regulation or safety demands a guaranteed-clean polymer, virgin material with the relevant certification is the correct choice. Everywhere else — which is most structural and technical PVC — recyclate is a sound, often superior commercial decision.
The cost and sustainability case
Commercial benefits
- ✓ Lower material cost than virgin compound
- ✓ Insulation from virgin-resin price swings
- ✓ Recycled content as a tender and EPD advantage
- ✓ Custom formulations tuned to your process
Environmental benefits
- ✓ Lower embodied CO2 than new polymer
- ✓ Plastic diverted from landfill and incineration
- ✓ Conserves fossil feedstock and energy
- ✓ Supports a closed-loop, circular value chain
The regulatory direction is clear. The EU Green Deal and the Circular Economy Action Plan push for higher recycled content, design for recyclability and less landfill across the value chain, and recycled content is increasingly rewarded in green public procurement. Choosing recyclate is no longer only a cost decision — it is alignment with where European construction is heading.
Why source recycled PVC compound from an EU manufacturer
Not all recyclate is equal, and the difference usually comes down to who produced it. Bulk imports — typically from Asia — can be attractively priced, but they often arrive with variable contamination, no batch data and long, unpredictable lead times. A local EU manufacturer that recycles and compounds under one roof closes those gaps:
- •Traceable feedstock — known-origin scrap, sorted and cleaned in-house, not an anonymous mixed bale.
- •EU compliance — REACH and RoHS documentation, with restricted heavy-metal stabilisers designed out.
- •Batch-level quality — a Certificate of Analysis with every delivery, so your line sees a consistent material.
- •Short lead times — days, not weeks of sea freight, with easier reordering and lower stock risk.
- •Custom formulation — hardness, colour, UV and thermal stability tuned to your product, on request.
Plast Commerce manufactures rigid and flexible PVC compounds — including recycled grades — on its own compounding and granulating line in Bulgaria (EU), supplied in 25 kg bags or big bags. See our full PVC granulate and compound range for specifications, or send us your requirement and we will recommend the right grade.