Patent ID: 8106103

Claim:
A method for preparing a reformulated feed material from a plurality of batches of reclaimed mixed waste plastic, the reformulated feed material having a color suitable for use in manufacturing a desired product, the method comprising: preprocessing a plurality of batches of contaminated, reclaimed mixed waste plastic by removing gross contaminants, shredding the mixed waste plastic from which the gross contaminants have been removed, densifying the shredded mixed waste plastic to a bulk density of at least about 16 pounds per cubic foot, and reducing the densified, shredded mixed waste plastic to a predetermined maximum particle size; selecting a sample from each of the plurality of batches of preprocessed mixed waste plastic; further reducing the particle size of the sample to obtain a more uniform particle size distribution; injection molding a substantially homogeneous composition from the mixed waste plastic within each sample; analyzing at least a portion of each injection molded composition to determine color properties for that sample; calculating a reformulated blend including mixed waste plastic from at least some of the plurality of batches of mixed waste plastic based upon the color properties of the respective samples; and blending a quantity of mixed waste plastic from each of the at least some of the plurality of batches of mixed waste plastic according to the calculated reformulated blend to produce a reformulated feed material having a color falling within a predetermined range of the color properties.