{"id":216142,"date":"2026-05-04T11:44:15","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T15:44:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hajim.rochester.edu\/senior-design-day\/?p=216142"},"modified":"2026-05-04T11:44:15","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T15:44:15","slug":"development-of-a-small-scale-plastic-recycling-assembly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hajim.rochester.edu\/senior-design-day\/development-of-a-small-scale-plastic-recycling-assembly\/","title":{"rendered":"Development of a Small-Scale Plastic Recycling Assembly"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Meet the Team:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Paul Calderon<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Taryn Langtry<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Morgan Ransom<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Cece Vassallo<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Project Overview<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plastic waste generated on campus at the University of Rochester is substantial, with a sizable portion originating\u00a0from single-use plastic containers at coffee shops like Starbucks. The creation and application of small-scale recycling equipment can repurpose these single-use plastics to prolong their useful life before going to a final waste disposal system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This project utilizes a motorized shredding machine and injection molding equipment to recycle and repurpose high-density polyethylene (HDPE) milk jugs used by the on-campus Starbucks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Deliverables, Requirements and Specifications:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Deliverables<\/summary>
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Deliverable<\/th>Description<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
1<\/td>Prototype Device<\/td><\/tr>
2<\/td>Technical Report with Test Data<\/td><\/tr>
3<\/td>1000 Plastic Items<\/td><\/tr>
4<\/td>Theory of Operations Manual<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/details><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Requirements<\/summary>
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Requirement<\/th>Description<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
1<\/td>Plastic must come from campus waste<\/td><\/tr>
2<\/td>Standard injection molding protocols will be followed<\/td><\/tr>
3<\/td>All collected plastic must be recyclable in a similar manner<\/td><\/tr>
4<\/td>Safety protocols will be recognized and evaluated by appropriate safety staff<\/td><\/tr>
5<\/td>The molded pieces will be formed in one shot based on the injection molder’s shot capacity<\/td><\/tr>
6<\/td>Mold material should support the quantity required<\/td><\/tr>
7<\/td>Mold needs vents to prevent plastic from burning<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/details><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Specifications<\/summary>
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Specification<\/th>Value<\/th>Units<\/th>Description<\/th>Method of Evaluation<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
1<\/td>1000<\/td>units<\/td>Produce by May 4th<\/td>Counting<\/td><\/tr>
2<\/td>24<\/td>hours<\/td>Maximum time spent injecting molded items<\/td>Clock<\/td><\/tr>
3<\/td>5\/16<\/td>inches<\/td>Maximum shredded particle size<\/td>Ruler<\/td><\/tr>
4<\/td>440-490<\/td>\u00b0F<\/td>Applicable injection molding operating temperature<\/td>Temperature<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/details><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Designs:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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CAD Assembly of Shredder Components<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The shredder assembly has four main components:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Motor (blue)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Gearbox (green)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Shredder box (yellow)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Hopper (red)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
    <\/div>\n\n\n
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    CAD Assembly of Mold<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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    CAD Representation of Injection Molded Object<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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    Final Products:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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    Final Assembly of Shredder<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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    \"\"<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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    \"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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    Test Results:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
    \"\"<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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    \"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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    Documentation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Final Report<\/summary>
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