Plastic bottles are finding new uses as recycled materials in electronic devices, cars or garden furniture. This is what is meant by upcycling: when recyclates are optimized in their properties to such an extent that they achieve a quality equivalent to that of primary material. This process turns plastic waste into a very valuable raw material of the future. With our innovative technology solutions, plastics can be mechanically recycled and put to a new use without any loss of quality. Plastics such as those in the form of water bottles or production waste, are first collected and sorted. The material is then shredded into flakes for washing and cleaning. Our twin screw extruders are the heart of plastic recycling plants. Thanks to their exceptional mixing and degassing performance, they are ideal for transforming plastic flakes into pellets while maintaining material integrity. In addition to vacuum domes and atmospheric vents, larger volumes of gases can be removed from the melt via the ZS-EG side degassing unit, further increasing product quality. This presentation will review requirements for not only the twin screw extruder but also the equipment used to convey, feed and meter feedstock into the extruder. Pelletizing, post-treatment and handling of the finished pellets will also be reviewed in order to provide a complete overview of the recycling process from PCR to high quality pellets that have exactly the property profile required for their subsequent use.