An apparatus for the preparation of thermoplastic plastics material to be recycled has two treatment stages following one after the other. At least two receiving containers, which are capable of being evacuated and which are attached in parallel to a receiving container of the second stage, are present in the first stage. A device is present by which an alternating batch-wise charging of the receiving container of the second stage takes place from the receiving containers of the first stage. The said device controls discharge members of the receiving containers of the preceding stage, which leads into a channel. A shut-off member is provided for each receiving container of the preceding stage in the said channel. The alternating device controls the shut-off members.The method of preparing thermoplastic plastics material, to be recycled, utilizes an apparatus of this type.