Thermoforming & Vacuum Formed Products worked example

Regrind Recovery Value at 58% clean-regrind capture efficiency: a worked example

Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop clean-regrind capture efficiency to 58%, then walk the calculation through step by step. In vacuum thermoforming, the web skeleton, edge trim and rejected parts can account for 20-50% of the sheet fed into the machine, and every pound of that material is either landfilled or ground back into usable regrind.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Scrap and trim weight recovered per run: 100 units (held at the documented default)
  • Regrind resin market value: 45 $ / unit (held at the documented default)
  • Clean-regrind capture efficiency: 58 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 80)
  • Grinding and sortation fixed cost: 250 $ (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Regrind Recovery Value cost = quantity × rate × capture factor + fixed cost.
  • Weighted cost works out to 2,860 $ at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Per piece value works out to 28.6 $ / piece at these inputs.
  • Captured value works out to 2,610 $ at these inputs.
  • Fixed adjustment works out to 250 $ at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where clean-regrind capture efficiency sits at 80% and the headline result is 3,850 $, this scenario comes in 25.71% below the baseline at 2,860 $.
  • The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to clean-regrind capture efficiency, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. It treats capture efficiency as a flat percentage and does not model quality degradation from repeated regrind cycles, which limits allowable blend ratios for optical or food-contact parts.

Results at a glance

  • Weighted cost: 2,860 $ (headline result)
  • Per piece value: 28.6 $ / piece
  • Captured value: 2,610 $
  • Fixed adjustment: 250 $

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Regrind Recovery Value calculator, set clean-regrind capture efficiency to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.