Parting

Manufacture of disposable plastic tableware. Production of plastic containers

The twenty-first century is the time of super technologies, a healthy lifestyle and all kinds of plastic products (toys, furniture, dishes, cutlery, etc.).

Despite the fact that some technologists and nutritionists do not welcome the use of even food-grade plastic, the statistics speak for themselves - "every second person in Russia bought a plastic cup or picnic utensils at least once in their life." And about the mass purchase of sealed plastic containers - it's not even worth talking about.

Given the popularity of the product and a wide range of possible outlets, such a business project will not lose its significance and relevance for at least the next 15 years. Therefore, if you have a desire to start your own business from scratch, then it is quite possible to consider the option of producing plastic dishes.

Registration and organization of business

The choice of organizational form for the enterprise directly depends on the planned output volumes. For small workshops and mini-factories, it is better to choose IP (Individual Entrepreneurship), and for larger production facilities - LLC.

The OKVED code for registration will be 25.24.2 - "production of plastic tableware and kitchen utensils, toiletries."

Required Documentation

GOST standard R 50962-96 - “Utensils and household products made of plastic. General technical conditions".
GOST 15820-82 - "Polystyrene and styrene copolymers".
GN 2.3.3.972-00 - instead of SanPiN No. 42-123-4240-86 "Permissible amounts of migration (DKM) of chemicals released from polymeric and other materials in contact with food and methods for their determination."
SP 2.2.2.1327-03 - "Hygienic requirements for the organization of technological processes, production equipment and workplace."
GN 2.2.4.1313-03 - "MAC of harmful substances in the air of the working area".

After all the requirements have been studied, you can proceed to the design of other papers and documents. If we represent the required number of them in the form of a list, we get the following:

certificate of state registration;
permission of the sanitary-epidemiological organization of the city.
permission from the fire department;
the conclusion of the labor protection commission;
sanitary books for production line workers;
certificate of conformity for equipment;
the hallmark of quality for the product.

Premises and equipment

The choice of premises and the organization of work depend, first of all, on the type of production activity using an incomplete or full cycle. Most often, entrepreneurs choose the latter option with the work of a granular. Based on this, the requirements for the organization of work in the premises are as follows:

If we talk about functional zoning, it is worth observing the following order:

manufacturing facility;
administrative and amenity premises;
warehouse for storage of raw materials;
warehouse for storage and transportation of finished products;
shower room;
dressing room;
bathroom.

The list of production equipment with standardized equipment of the workshop must necessarily include:

Granulator.
extruder.
Chopper.
Punching presses.
Edge curling machine.
Packing machine.
Printer for drawing an image.

It is worth noting that many manufacturers do not hesitate to purchase Chinese-made equipment because of its cheapness. However, its technical characteristics and operating capabilities “at the exit” will not give the required volume, which means they will make significant amendments to the existing business plan.

Raw materials and suppliers

It is worth buying raw materials and consumables in strictly limited quantities from Russian or foreign suppliers. The quality of the source material absolutely does not depend on the manufacturer's company or the manufacturability, the main thing is that the basis for the production of plastic utensils does not contain harmful, toxic impurities.

Thus, to implement the plan, you will need to purchase:

Polysterol.
Polypropylene.

Production technology

The main component of the entire technological process is to give maximum strength to the finished product. For this:

The processed raw material (or finished granules) is fed into the extruder. To give color, the coloring matter is also poured there.
Inside the apparatus, the mass is heated and mixed, turning into a homogeneous substance.
Having reached the state of a liquid viscous mixture, the finished mass is automatically sent to the pressing, where the final density of the web is brought to the level of 2 mm.
As soon as the canvas is “grabbed”, it is sent to the thermoforming machine with the help of the remote control.
Next, the mixture is reheated and evenly distributed over the molds, acquiring a finished look.

When all the main stages of blank formation have been completed, trimmer machines cut them out and redirect them to the packaging unit. After that, the products are considered ready for shipment.

Staff

The organization of any technological process implies the presence of the following specialists of the production and administrative unit:

The equipment repairman is not included in this list, since when buying new machines, their operation is covered by a guarantee for several years. Thus, repairs and other technical issues will be settled by an invited specialist.

Sales

Selling finished products does not seem difficult or tedious. High-quality plastic tableware is essential for organizations of many types of activities, and, therefore, the demand for products will be constant.

You can conclude a mutually beneficial contract with:

fast food cafe;
eateries and small cafeterias;
industrial canteens;
large stores;
small emergencies;
children's educational institutions (in some of them, plastic utensils are used for drawing classes).

The financial component of the business

The profitability of the entire production is extremely high and the degree of material investment, respectively, too. However, do not forget that at the initial stages, by setting a limit on output, you can save a lot and check how profitable this or that entrepreneurial step will become.

Cost of opening and maintaining

In order to legalize a business, it will be necessary not only to formalize it, but also to make certain primary payments. These include:

In total, the total amount of opening and maintaining is at least 2,220,000 rubles.

Size of future income

The expected level of profit from the sale of plastic utensils can exceed even the wildest forecasts. Based on the known data on the level of income of large enterprises and industry workshops, we can conclude that the first few months of operation, the net profit reaches 500,000 rubles. Further, this amount either increases many times or remains unchanged.

Payback period

Based on the data on the profitability of the enterprise and the level of initial costs, it is possible to approximately calculate the total payback period. In this case, it is 6 months.

When deciding to open a business in the segment of "increased consumer demand", you must, first of all, work for the future and think over possible ways to re-register the company. Since everyone wants to engage in a promising project, but as a rule, no one is ready to oversaturate the industry sector with the same type of product.

In the world, the production of disposable tableware is gaining more and more relevance. And although the purchase of equipment is an expensive undertaking, and when drawing up a business plan, you need to carefully analyze the market, it is still a promising project that is worth paying attention to.

It is advisable to get acquainted with the nuances of the work of such a workshop in practice. A novice entrepreneur without basic skills will make too many mistakes that will ruin the project at the start. But having enough experience, you can open a mini-factory for the production of plastic cups, and then gradually expand the range.

Business Relevance

According to statistics, there has been an increase in demand for disposable tableware around the world within 10-15% annually. This suggests that people prefer it more often. The benefits are obvious:

Can be used once and then discarded.
Low price.
With the help of multi-colored elements, it turns out to create a festive atmosphere in any conditions.
Such dishes are light and do not take up much space if you have to take it with you to nature.
Convenient to use for any purpose.

True, an increasing variety of such products appears on the market and competition among entrepreneurs is growing. On the one hand, these are Chinese suppliers of plastic tableware, the cost of which is very low. On the other hand, the emergence of more environmentally friendly varieties, for example, paper cups. But if you establish the production of safe and cheap products, you can win your niche.

First you need to decide on the main competitors, to study their strengths and weaknesses. Keep in mind imported plastic utensils, which are still in high demand. Draw up a competent business plan and think over the assortment of the offered goods. For example, disposable cups of various sizes and volumes are rightfully considered the most common. Only after that proceed to the organizational part.

Paperwork

To open a mini-workshop, you must first register as a legal entity. The advantages of an LLC over an individual entrepreneur are significant:

Such a firm inspires more confidence both among suppliers of raw materials and equipment, and among wholesale buyers.
It is possible to recover VAT on purchases.
In case of failure, the company risks only the authorized capital.
It's easier to get a loan from a bank.

When registering, indicate the OKVED code 25.24.2. Various licenses for activities are not needed, but the premises themselves and the quality of manufactured products must comply with GOSTs and the standards prescribed in SanPiN. Before starting a business on disposable tableware, be sure to study the following documents:

GOST R 50962-96 - general technical conditions for the production of plastic products.
GOST 15820-82 - specifying the quality standards for styrene and polystyrene copolymers, on the basis of which plastic dishes are created.
GN 2.3.3.972-00 - adopted instead of SanPiN 42-123-4240-86, which establishes the requirements and indicators for the amount of chemicals in such materials.
SP 2.2.2.1327-03 - describes the technological process and hygienic requirements for the operation and condition of the equipment.
GN 2.2.4.1313-03 - where it is said about harmful substances in the composition of the air at the workplace.

In order to obtain permits for production activities from the SES, the fire inspectorate and Rospotrebnadzor, it is necessary to properly prepare the premises, purchase equipment and release the first batch of goods, which must undergo rigorous quality control. Only then can the idea be put into practice.

Workshop arrangement

When installing all the equipment necessary for the manufacture of disposable tableware, you need to select and prepare the room in a certain way. It is important to consider the following requirements:

The height of the ceilings should be at least 4.5 meters, and only in the absence of an extruder and a granulator, you can get by with indicators of 3.5 m.
The floor must be poured with concrete or laid with durable tiles.
The walls are covered with a fire-resistant material that can be easily washed.
Be sure to install good ventilation.
The electrical network must be three-phase and withstand the high loads of operation of all equipment.
Do not forget about water supply, heating and other communications.

The whole building is divided into separate zones:

working;
administrative;
bathroom and shower for staff;
wardrobe;
warehouses for raw materials and finished products.

Make sure that the workshop has convenient access roads for unloading goods. It is better to rent or purchase such premises outside the city or in its industrial part. The total area should be about 500 square meters. m.

Equipment selection

A complete automated line for the production of disposable tableware consists of the following elements:

Granulator.
extruder.
Crushers.
Thermoforming press.
Product stacking machine.
Conveyor.
Machine for bending the upper edge of the glass.
The printer for drawing the image.
compressor.
Bulk molds for cutlery.

It is not necessary to purchase all of their varieties at once. You can draw up a line gradually, adding individual elements as the business develops and the initial investment returns. You can only start with a stacking and packaging machine and a thermoforming line. By purchasing ready-made rolls of thin film, you can do without installing other elements.

Please note that equipment manufacturers offer different models, capacities, a variety of forms, and this, in turn, significantly affects the cost. Depending on the financial possibilities and the desired production volumes of disposable tableware, you need to make a choice.

It is believed that German and Austrian machines are the most powerful and they should be purchased when creating a productive automated line that produces several million products per month. But to start, you can spend 3-4 times less and opt for Korean or domestic cars. Then the volume of production will be lower, but the cost of equipment will be feasible.

Raw material base

Plastic disposable tableware is made from two main components:

Polypropylene - resistant to fats, oils, alcohol, products made from it can be placed in a microwave oven, and they are also allowed to be used for children's products. But when working with this material, it is necessary to strictly maintain the parameters of the technology so that its quality characteristics do not deteriorate.
Polystyrene - it is much easier to work with it, but it has lower performance during operation.

Individual entrepreneurs began to produce, but the cost of laminated cardboard and products from it is quite high. Therefore, such a business is still losing in competition.

In the search for suppliers of polystyrene and polypropylene, you can go to several existing large enterprises that are engaged in their production. But there are certain downsides. For larger orders, small customers will have to wait too long for material, which can lead to frequent downtime.

Therefore, it is worth establishing other channels of supply. For example, pay attention to factories that collect recyclables and recycle them. And although the quality of such material is much lower, this can be a way out in the search for a permanent and reliable supplier. Or find a foreign manufacturer who is ready to offer the material at an affordable price. It is important to control the quality of the original raw materials. It must comply with GOST 10354-82.

Technological process

When creating plastic dishes, the material goes through the following stages:

Polyester in the form of granules is fed into the extruder. If you want to diversify the color scheme of the product, you can add different shades.
The raw material is heated to high temperatures, at which it begins to melt, and mixed, achieving a homogeneous mass.
Then it is passed through a press, which provides a finished film thickness of 2 mm. It is very important to control that the machine always produces an even web.
Such a roll is sent to a thermoforming machine, which involves the creation of a product (glasses, plates, etc.).
Here the material again lends itself to high temperatures and, due to the vacuum effect, acquires the desired shapes.
Further, the blanks enter the trimmer, where they are cut to size.
With the help of a conveyor, they go to a packaging machine or a printer for applying a logo, pattern, advertising, etc.
For glasses and plates, you must additionally pass the products through an apparatus that bends the edges.
At the end, the goods are packed into large bags.

Staff

Due to the fact that the line is fully automated, it will not be necessary to hire a large number of people to control its work. Depending on the volume of production, a different number of employees is needed. For an average workshop, it is enough to have in the state:

A technologist is a specialist with higher education and experience in this field, it is quite difficult to find one, but his presence is mandatory to maintain product quality.
Equipment adjusters - you should also train additionally or find professional craftsmen.
Ancillary workers.
Cleaning lady.
Accountant.
Client Relations Manager.

To deliver goods to customers on their own, it is also desirable to hire a loader and a driver. To save costs, you can perform some of the functions, for example, accounting, management, sales of products, independently.

We are looking for buyers

It is not enough just to produce a quality product. It is also necessary to find through which channels to sell disposable tableware. From advertising, you can use all available resources - the media, the Internet, ads. But it is better to establish personal contacts with the owners:

Catering establishments.
supermarkets.
Specialized stores selling related products.
wholesale bases.
Food preparation and delivery companies.
vending machines.
Larkov.
Offices.
Educational and other government institutions.
confectionery firms.
Organizations for the arrangement of holidays, corporate parties.
Catering agencies, etc.

It makes sense to hire a marketing and sales specialist, then the activity of your company will quickly pay off due to large wholesale orders and sales of finished products.

Download for free as a sample.

Financial part

Opening a mini-workshop for the production of disposable tableware will require large investments. We list the main items of expenditure.

The cost of one unit of a product is on average 0.25 rubles. If you sell disposable tableware for 0.35 rubles, then with a production volume of 10 million units per month, you can achieve a net profit of 1,000,000. Even taking into account regular deductions, you can achieve full payback for the project in 3-4 months.

Video: production of disposable tableware.

In today's world, the production and sale of disposable tableware is constantly growing, and this trend has been observed for a number of years. The popularity of such dishes is quite justified - plastic glasses, plates, forks and spoons are very inexpensive, absolutely safe for health and hygienic (they are simply thrown away after use). Disposable tableware is of particular importance for fast food establishments, which are used extremely actively and in large quantities.

The history of plastic utensils in the United States

The birthplace of plastic tableware is the United States of America. It was in this country in the middle of the last century that a certain William Dart invented a plastic cup, the very first in the world. He patented his revolutionary invention and founded the Dart Container Corporation. Today it occupies a third of the entire US disposable packaging market. A little later, in addition to plastic glasses, they began to produce plates, forks, spoons and knives. The production of disposable tableware in Moscow and other cities of our country began only in the mid-90s of the last century. Prior to that, it was imported from abroad, which at some point became economically unprofitable. Now in Russia there are many large and small enterprises for the production of disposable tableware, which almost completely cover the needs of the domestic market in it.

Equipment for the production of plastic tableware

Modern technology for the production of disposable tableware involves the use of specialized equipment, which includes:

Extruders;
thermoforming machines;
Automatic production lines.

Extruders are needed in order to produce a plastic sheet from which dishes are further molded. This process is carried out using thermoforming machines. The largest and most modern enterprises are equipped with specialized automatic production lines with high productivity. As for the cost of equipment for the production of plastic disposable tableware, it is quite high. For example, a new European-made high-performance extruder costs about $500,000, and a thermoforming machine costs about $40,000.

Raw materials for the production of plastic tableware

In Russia, the main raw materials for the production of disposable plastic tableware are polystyrene and polypropylene. These materials meet all sanitary and hygienic standards, do not emit any substances harmful to human health. For production, they are delivered most often in the form of granules.

Who among us has not been on a picnic? Since early spring, all people tend to spend more time in nature. Plastic dishes become indispensable for such trips. It is lightweight, comfortable and accessible to everyone. Its sales volumes are growing every year. Steadily growing demand makes the production of plastic tableware a profitable and promising business.

How much money do you need to start a disposable tableware business
What equipment to choose for the manufacture of disposable tableware
Production technology of disposable tableware
How much money is needed to start the production of plastic tableware
How to choose equipment for the production of plastic tableware
Plastic tableware production technology

The demand for these products in Russia has some seasonality. In summer and spring, it is higher, but in winter, stable sales will be provided by contracts with lunch delivery, catering, eateries and vending machine owners. With well-established work with wholesale buyers, you should not worry about income in the winter months.

How much money do you need to start a disposable tableware business

To start in this niche, you will need at least 500 thousand dollars. The amount is quite large, so they usually attract investors or bank loans. If you buy not new equipment, then you can invest in 200 thousand dollars. In general, the price of devices in Russia largely depends on the brand and manufacturer.

What equipment to choose for the manufacture of disposable tableware

The most famous line manufacturers are German and American enterprises. The prices for these brands are high and vary depending on the capacity. For a novice businessman in Russia, we can recommend equipment from Taiwan or Korea for the production of disposable tableware. It also has different powers. The production line consists of the following components:

1	Injection molding machine. He works with materials such as polystyrene and polypropylene.
3	extruder. On it, sheets of plastic are obtained from granular material, ready for further molding. Usually a roll has a diameter of 800 mm and a weight of about 200 kg. The thickness of the plastic, its color and width are set by the operator. Moreover, the overall dimensions are usually cut off after the material has solidified, after exiting the extruder. These wastes are recycled for further production. The thickness of the plastic is directly related to the quality and technological capabilities of the finished disposable tableware. The thicker the sheet, the deeper the drawing can be carried out in the next stage. For example, to make a glass 155 mm high, the material must be rolled to a thickness of 1.1 mm. For smaller disposable tableware, you can use plastic, with a parameter of 0.6 mm. The quality, further purpose and cost of the product depend on all these dimensions.
4	Forming machines. In them, under the influence of temperature, the dishes themselves are made. Reels of plastic are installed on them. The material is heated and fed into a mold. Here it not only stretches, it must form and cool. The molding machine also removes excess elements of the product. The finished dishes are blown out of the mold and accumulated on a special rack.

Production technology of disposable tableware

The technology is called the pneumoforming method. Raw materials for production are translucent granules, 4 mm in size. To them are added waste of own production, which was formed in previous cycles. They are finely crushed and mixed with fresh granules. Typically, the percentage of content is about 30, but in practice, technologists often develop their own standards. They depend on:

Sometimes products are made entirely from recycled materials. The equipment allows it. Plastic dishes can be transparent or colored. The dye in the composition should be present no more than 1-2% of the total volume.

The last stage of the technology is quality control and packaging of disposable tableware. The equipment usually works smoothly and without failures, but it happens that “cuts” occur. These items are removed and sent for recycling.

According to experts in Russia, approximately the same amount will be needed to equip the premises, staff salaries, and overhead costs. The full payback of the business will come no earlier than in 2-3 years. When planning a business, you need to provide for the possibility of expanding it. As we said before, the demand for disposable tableware products is growing every year.

Thermoforming line.

Manufacturers of disposable tableware in any country, including Russia, are mini-factories. Premises for them can be found in the industrial areas of the city. On the outskirts, renting space will be cheaper, which will reduce the cost of finished products. In addition to the main workshop, where the equipment will be located, it is necessary to provide storage facilities, an office for the administration and amenity premises for workers.

Since all plastic utensils will come into contact with food in the future, they must be safe for humans. It is mainly used for cold products. But if thick-walled polystyrene is used for production, it will be suitable for heating in microwave ovens. The equipment also allows the production of products from polypropylene. This material is thicker and can be used more than once to store food. Containers for refrigerators are made from it. The equipment has many possibilities. It is important for a businessman in Russia to determine the type of product even before the opening of the workshop. It is better to choose dishes that are not produced in the region. Your products can be made special in shape, color, so that they are recognizable among consumers.

How much money is needed to start the production of plastic tableware

In this area of business, the main investments of money will be spent on renting premises and purchasing expensive equipment.

The purchase of equipment takes place in several stages: purchase, delivery to production, installation and configuration. The next step is to train the staff in the necessary skills.

Essential equipment to purchase:

molds (5 - 7 pieces) from 1 to 1.5 million rubles;
extruder - about 1 million rubles;
compressor - approximately 600 thousand rubles;
thermoforming machine (2 - 3 pieces) - from 1.3 to 1.6 million rubles.

Additional costs will be spent on the purchase of office equipment and the organization of transportation (300 - 400 thousand rubles). Plus, the salary of production workers (workers, cleaners, loaders, director, accountant) is about 600 thousand rubles.

Bottom line: this business area requires a large initial investment. To start this business, you need 5-6 million rubles.

How to choose equipment for the production of plastic tableware

The necessary equipment is supplied by several countries at once. The cheapest is produced in South Korea and China - its main priority is cost. More expensive, but much better made in Europe (Germany and France) - has a high quality product. The most prestigious is brought from the USA - the price for it is somewhat higher than that of its counterparts, but the quality and power indicators are excellent. The cost of a set of equipment ranges from 5 to 50 million rubles. The main question that stands when choosing equipment is financial capabilities.

Plastic tableware production technology

The manufacturing technology of plastic tableware is almost completely automatic. Raw materials in the form of granules or rolls of paper are fed to the required devices (depending on the product being manufactured). Next, the automated production system passes the materials through several stages of processing. For plastic or paper dishes, they differ significantly, but the manufacturing process is fully controlled by a pre-configured control system. At the output of the conveyor, a ready-made, already packaged product is obtained, which remains only to be sold.