Size reduction is the foundation of effective carpet recycling.
Post-consumer carpet enters recycling facilities in bulky, irregular forms—rolled, folded, or compacted. Without proper size reduction, these materials are impossible to handle efficiently or process consistently.
What Size Reduction Accomplishes
Properly engineered hammer mill systems allow recyclers to:
- Reduce material volume for efficient handling
- Break apart bonded composite layers
- Liberate polymer fibers from mineral-filled backing
- Produce consistent material for separation and reuse
Primary and Secondary Processing
In many carpet recycling systems, size reduction occurs in stages:
- Primary size reduction breaks carpet into manageable pieces
- Secondary size reduction refines particle size for separation and classification
This staged approach improves throughput, consistency, and material recovery rates.