Plant economics 7 min read Published 24 Aug 2026

Plastic recycling machine prices in South Africa: the real 2026 numbers

By the CISH Engineering Team

Reviewed by Frank Guo, Technical Strategy Expert

TL;DR — A production-ready washing and recycling line at 300–1,000 kg/h runs USD 120,000–350,000 in 2026; a 500 kg/h PET bottle washing line producing fibre-grade flakes sits at USD 150,000–200,000, and adding pelletizing — the step that turns flakes into sellable granules — adds USD 80,000–120,000. Below that, single granulators and crushers trade from the low tens of thousands and are well served by the dealer market. The machine, though, is the predictable part: feedstock supply is the business — the collection network that feeds the line decides your margin before the hot-wash stage does. All figures USD, ex-China; add roughly 25–45% landed and installed.

The quick answer: 2026 bands by stage

Stage	2026 band	What you're actually buying
Granulators & crushers	Low tens of thousands	Size reduction only — a component, not a recycling business
Washing line, 300–1,000 kg/h	USD 120,000–350,000	Label remover, float-sink, hot wash, friction wash, drying — the tier that makes flakes buyers accept
PET bottle washing, 500 kg/h	USD 150,000–200,000	Fibre-grade flakes; the hot-wash stage alone is roughly a quarter of the line cost
Pelletizing add-on	+USD 80,000–120,000	Flakes → granules: wider buyer base, better price per tonne

Feedstock is the business

A recycling line eats tonnes per shift, every shift — and the operators who make money secured their bales before their machines: collection agreements, buy-back centre relationships, industrial scrap contracts. Price your feedstock per tonne, delivered and sorted, before pricing any machine; a line at 40% utilisation because the bales didn't come is the standard failure mode of this industry, and no machine spec fixes it.

What the machine price leaves out

Wash water — hot washing needs water treatment and responsible discharge; budget the water loop as part of the plant.
Power — friction washers, dryers and extruders are energy-hungry; the connection is sized to the peak.
Sorting labour and space — inbound bales need sorting lines and yard space that seldom appear in machine quotes.
The landed leg — 25–45% on top of ex-works via the estimator; duty on most machinery under HS 84 is 0% (check your heading).

Injection-side capacity — turning your granules into products — is priced in the injection moulding machine guide; bags, pipe and preforms in the bag, pipe and preform guide.

What you're buying from CISH: a working plant, not a crate

Recycling lines delivered as working capacity: configuration matched to your feedstock (bottle, film, rigid), OEM audit in China, a factory acceptance test on your bales, freight and clearing, installation and commissioning, training and documented handover. Start with how turnkey delivery works.

Pricing FAQ

What buyers ask

Production-ready washing lines at 300–1,000 kg/h run USD 120,000–350,000; a 500 kg/h PET washing line producing fibre-grade flakes sits at USD 150,000–200,000; pelletizing adds USD 80,000–120,000. Single granulators trade from the low tens of thousands. Add roughly 25–45% landed and installed.

The lines work; the business is decided by feedstock — secured, sorted bales at a workable delivered price, every week. Operators who contract collection before buying machines make money; the ones who buy machines first supply the used-equipment market.

As a size-reduction service or a feeder business, yes — it's a legitimate entry the dealer market serves well. But flake buyers pay for washed, graded material: the washing line is where recycling becomes a product business rather than a scrap trade.

Pricing a recycling line?

Tell us your feedstock and your offtake, and an engineer will come back with a configuration, a band and the honest feedstock questions first.

Start the conversation Call +27 10 007 4513