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Fajugbagbe, A.
Engineering Materials Research Department, Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute, National Laboratory Complex, KM 10, Idiroko road, Ota, Ogun State
Asafa, T. B.
Mechanical Engineering Department, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria
Durowoju, M. O.
Mechanical Engineering Department, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria
Apeh, S. E.
Engineering Materials Research Department, Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute, National Laboratory Complex, KM 10, Idiroko road, Ota, Ogun State
ABSTRACT
Nigeria
generates about 2.5 million metric tons of plastic waste annually, but
recycling plants processes only around 10%
of this amount. Consequently, the rest of the plastic wastes are being
dumped in terrestrial and aquatic systems with a huge negative effect human
health and pollution problems. The
most effective means to promote recycling is to introduce a low-cost plastic
shredding machine that can help to reduce the size of the plastic to smaller
pieces for convenient storage and transportation. However, the high price of
foreign shredding equipment has made it hard for waste collectors to purchase.
Hence,the main goals of this work are to design, to fabricate, and carry out
performance evaluation of an affordable plastic shredding machine that can
operate well and be suitable for small- and medium-sized recyclers. The design
procedure was carried out using SolidWorks software which was in agreement with
engineering design standards. A 2-mm thick mild steel pyramidal hopper, a
shredding chamber with 6-mm thick cutting blades on a 30-mm diameter shaft, a
structured mild-steel frame and a 6.5-hp gasoline engine were the main
components of the manufactured machine. The 24-toothed spur gears were designed
to allow for both clockwise and anticlockwise movement, and the shaft was built
to endure the greatest shear and bending strains. Polyethylene terephthalate
(PET) bottles, High-density polyethylene (HDPE) products, and polyvinyl
chloride (PVC) pipes were used to measure the machine's throughput capacity and
shredding efficiency. The shredding operation occurred within a 0.017
m³ shredding chamber, after which the shredded materials were discharged
through an outlet chute.The shredding efficiencies for PET, HDPE, and PVC
were 69.55, 85.67, and 71.85%, respectively, with throughput capacities of 14
kg/h, 17 kg/h, and 15 kg/h. The overall cost of the produced shredding machine
was ₦350,000, which is significantly less than the ₦900,000–₦2,500,000 price range of
similar-capacity machines that are frequently imported into Nigeria. The use of
materials that could be found locally was the main reason for the reported cost
savings.
Keywords: Waste plastic, pollution, shredding equipment, recycling, and efficiency
https://doi.org/10.33922/j.ujet_v12i1_2
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Published
Saturday, February 21, 2026
Issue
Vol. 12, No. 1, March 2026
Article Section
GENERAL
The contents of the articles are the sole opinion of the author(s) and not of UJET.
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