Systems and methods for recycling thin-section materials

A plastic bag adapted and configured to be mounted to a rack wherein such rack has a base section defining a bottom of such rack, the base section being adapted to interface With an underlying support, an upper section of such rack being adapted to be disposed above such base section, the upper section defining a top of the rack, at least a first leg of the rack being adapted to extend from the base section to the upper section and to support the upper section from the base section,

• said bag having a top edge, a bottom edge, and a generally continuous side wall extending from the top edge to the bottom edge, a length of said bag generally extending at least 50 inches from the top edge to the bottom edge, said side wall having a thickness of about 1.25 mils to about 10 mils, said bag being closed at or adjacent the bottom edge of said bag, said bag having a fully open circumference of at least 64 inches at the top edge of said bag. thereby to define said bag as an open-top, closed-bottom receptacle adapted and configured to receive thin-section sheet material tossed loosely thereinto, when said bag is mounted to such rack,
• said bag having an array of holes distributed about the circumference of said bag, the array of holes extending along at least sixty percent of the length of said bag, such holes being located and sized so as to provide average hole open area, in the hole array, about the circumference and along the length of said bag, when said bag is filled with waste sheet material, and with said bag having been closed at such open top, effective to facilitate escape of air from said bag through said side wall during compression of said bag in a baler, while retaining such waste sheet material in the bag.

A rack adapted and configured to receive and hold a bag while waste material is being placed in such bag, said rack comprising:

• (a) a base section defining a bottom of said rack, said bottom of said rack being adapted to interface with an underlying support, said base section further comprising a base section length, front-to-back, and a base section width, side-to-side, perpendicular to the base section length,
• (b) an upper section adapted to be disposed above said base section, said upper section defining a top of said rack, said ripper section having at least one arm defining an upper section circumference, the upper section circumference extending across any open spaces between next adjacent ends of said upper section at the top of said rack, at least one of the base section length or the base section width being greater than the respective upper section length or upper section width,
• (c) at least a first leg adapted to extend from said base section to said upper section and to support said upper section from said base section, and
• (d) at least one of a friction element or a point restrictor being mounted on said rack at a location where a weight in the bottom of such bag applies a stress in such bag at the top of said rack.

A rack adapted and configured to receive and hold a bag while waste material is being placed in such bag, said rack comprising:

• (a) a base section defining a bottom of said rack, said bottom of said rack being adapted to interface with an underlying support, said base section further comprising a base section length, front-to-back, and a base section width, side-to-side, perpendicular to the base section length,
• (b) an upper section adapted to be disposed above said base section, said upper section defining a top of said rack, said upper section having an upper section length, front-to-back, an upper section width, side-to-side perpendicular to the upper section length, and one or more upper section arms defining an upper section circumference, the upper section circumference extending across any open spaces between next adjacent ends of said upper section arms at the top of said rack, at least one of the base section length or the base section width being greater than the respective upper section length or upper section width,
• (c) at least a first leg adapted to extend from said base section to said upper section and to support said upper section from said base section, and
• a rack height extending between the bottom of said rack and the top of said rack, and
• (d) a bag line marker on said first leg, said bag line marker being spaced from the top of said rack by a distance at least 10 percent as great as the height of said rack.

A method of processing thin-section waste material, comprising:

• (a) providing a rack, the rack having a base section defining a bottom of the rack, adapted to interface with an underlying support, an upper section disposed above the base section and defining a top of the rack, the upper section having one or more arms defining a circumference, the upper section circumference extending across any open spaces between next adjacent ends of such arms, at least a first leg extending from the base section to the upper section and supporting the upper section from the base section;
• (b) mounting, on the rack, a bag having a top edge, a bottom edge, and a generally continuous side wall extending from the top edge to the bottom edge, the bag having a closed bottom and an open top, and an array of holes distributed about the circumference of the bag and extending along the length of the bag, the holes being located and sized so as to facilitate escape of air from the bag during compression of the bag when the bag is filled with such thin-section waste material, a relatively lower port-on of the bag, when so mounted on the rack, being disposed inwardly of the circumference of the upper section of the rack, a relatively upper portion of the bag extending outwardly over, and downwardly from, the arms of the upper section;
• (c) placing a desired quantity of such thin-section waste sheet material in the bag;
• and
• (d) closing the top of the bag, thereby preventing such thin-section sheet material from leaving the bag.