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Using a waste baler to compress waste into uniform bales ensures it can be recycled efficiently.  Rather than discarding items in your mixed general waste, a variety of commercial and industrial waste can be crushed and bound into tidy bales, ready for transport to a recycling facility.

Some of the materials that can be made more manageable using a waste baler include metal, plastic, cardboard, and even tyres or agricultural waste. Yet waste balers are not just found in industrial or manufacturing plants. They can also be employed across the UK in a whole host of commercial locations, such as shops, hotels, and garden centres where waste packaging from frequent deliveries can easily mount up.

There are several benefits to using a waste baler. Employing a cardboard baler, for instance, not only keeps your business tidy and streamlines your workplace, it can also help create new revenue streams by enabling you to sell compacted cardboard for recycling. Many other recyclable materials can also generate revenue. Furthermore, with recyclables diverted from your general waste, regular collection fees can be reduced.

Maximising your return on investment, simply depends on choosing the right waste baler, and appropriate rental or purchase package, for your business.

Which waste baler is right for me?

The first step in selecting a baler is to determine what type of waste you need to compact. It’s also important to gauge the percentage of each type of material. A shop with a hot food counter, for example, will average 60 to 70% packaging waste, generally cardboard, which is recyclable. Segregating and baling cardboard for recycling could reduce the shop owner’s waste collection fees by 60%.

Many other materials can also be compressed and often the material type will dictate the baler required. For example, to handle a high volume of aluminium cans, you need a can and bottle baler. There are also specific balers for tyres, hard plastics, oil filters and farm waste. LSM’s Special Purpose range offers equipment to crush, press and pack all kinds of waste for recycling and removal.

Next, assess the size of baler you require given the amount of waste produced. Smaller shops and retail locations are generally best served by a standard small cardboard or plastic baler. The V5, for example, offers an economical solution for small and medium-sized businesses producing consistent waste types and amounts. It makes quick work of baling cardboard, plastic, textiles, paper, polystyrene and food waste.

For larger volumes of waste, a mill-size baler can be more economical as you will run fewer cycles and therefore use less labour and energy. A high-capacity baler can quickly and consistently produce uniform bales with a standard euro pallet footprint. This makes them ideal for supermarkets, service stations, department stores, hotels, manufacturing plants and logistics centres.

Bear in mind that hiring a waste baler may provide a more flexible solution than a one-off investment in capital equipment as it offers greater freedom to upscale or downsize as you review your business needs, move premises, or need a more advanced baler.

Where should I locate my waste baler?

Installing a waste baler can enhance efficiency and streamline your work area by freeing up valuable floorspace previously filled with messy waste. Evaluate where to install your baler, keeping in mind the time and labour required to move waste from the collection point to the baler. Segregating materials close to the source can significantly improve the efficiency of your recycling plan.

Baler dimensions can also be crucial, particularly in small and medium business environments such as convenience stores. Remember to think about ceiling height when calculating your available space. With a low overall height, the V20X Low-Liner is ideal for medium-volume users with access issues as it can be installed under stairs, in basements, or areas with minimal headroom.

Baler location can also impact how you will handle and store your baled waste. Remember, in order to generate revenue from cardboard recycling, bales must be kept dry prior to collection. And while smaller bales are easier to manoeuvre through standard doorways, larger palette-sized bales can more easily contribute directly to revenue return.

Could a cardboard baler increase my profits?

Yes, the right baler can reduce your waste collection fees and earn you money by turning waste into a saleable commodity, baled and ready for collection.

Before selecting your baler, for card or any other materials, it’s useful to identify what services are available from waste collection companies in your area. Some will pay for baled materials only in certain volumes or adjust fees for the frequency or number of collections. Some waste carriers will separate your waste after collection, so they can deposit materials with the recycling mill and thereby accrue any associated profit.

Think carefully about your operations and how you would like to handle waste management and recycling to maximise efficiency and minimise costs. Keep in mind that your budget could be further improved by renting or leasing a machine, rather than buying equipment outright. For a shopping centre producing multiple bales of card per week for instance, the return on recycling may be significantly more than the weekly cost of baler rental.

In addition to any initial spend or rental costs, it’s also important to consider ongoing consumables costs and energy usage, offsetting these against any revenue return through recycling programmes and savings you’ll get from reduced waste collection fees.

To discuss your waste baler requirements, or for more advice on selecting the right waste baler to help you maximise your profit margins, contact LSM’s UK team now.