Baler Machines and Compactors: Everything You Need to Know

10th Feb 2023

Businesses can lower their operating expenses by using the appropriate recycling equipment, such as a baler or waste compactor. But what exactly is the distinction between a compactor and a baler, and which one is best for your company?

Everywhere we turn, we’re reminded of the importance of doing our bit for the environment and with some 222.2m tonnes of rubbish generated in the UK per year, it’s only right that businesses look for ways to improve their waste management processes. But it’s not only the environment that benefits.

What Are Baler Machines?

A baler machine compresses recyclable materials into a dense block, called a bale. There are two broad types of baler: a vertical baler and a horizontal baler. These machines can then be further subdivided into semi-automated machines, twin rams, and specialist balers.

How Do Balers Work?

Balers function by placing recyclable materials into a chamber and crushing them with a hydraulic or pneumatic ram powered by an electric motor or compressor. The material is compressed into a bale by the force of the ram. After the bale reaches its full size, it is automatically or manually knotted before being expelled, ready for collection.

What Types of Baling Machines Are There?

Baling machines are usually best suited to dry, recyclable materials, such as cardboard, paper or plastic.

Cardboard

Cardboard boxes take up a surprising amount of space in the refuse bin. They’re bulky and contain pockets of air. Often, you’ll end up flat packing the boxes, which is very labour-intensive.

A cardboard baler resolves this issue by compacting the cardboard into a neat, tidy block that takes up less space and is easily transportable.

Plastic

Like cardboard, plastic also takes up a considerable amount of space in the bin or skip. Plastic containers, such as bottles, are often filled with air. A plastic baler takes care of this problem by compressing the plastic and tightly bundling it into a bale for collection.

General Waste

Some recycling balers can handle multiple streams of refuse, commonly plastic and cardboard. There are also many baling machines that are designed to handle pre-sorted bulky or difficult-to-handle recyclable materials such as cans and drums, and even Styrofoam.

What Are the Benefits of Using Balers?

For businesses which process high volumes of dry, recyclable materials, a baler can:

Reduce the amount of space dedicated to recycling bins;
Save you time spent handling and sorting rubbish;
Cut your waste disposal costs;
Generate a new revenue stream; and
Help you to achieve your sustainability targets.

What is a Compactor?

A waste compactor also compresses materials to reduce their volume. Compactors are used for low-value mixed rubbish that’s often not recyclable. These machines are generally available in three variations: static, portable or specialist compactors.

How Do Compactors Work?

A powerful ram delivers anything up to around 36 tonnes of force to compress material placed in a container. When the container is full, it’s removed and replaced with an empty container. The full container is collected for disposal.

What Types of Compactors Are There?

Cardboard Compactors are well-suited to handling mixed refuse, including wet materials.

General Waste

Most commonly, compactors are used for general waste that cannot be easily sorted and is destined for landfill. Through the compacting process, you’ll save space in your container, which means that you’ll need fewer collections.

Glass

Glass is often repurposed for uses such as road or path resurfacing. However, glass is another bulky material that contains a lot of empty space. A glass crusher or imploder can significantly reduce the footprint of your glass waste, and can even remove sharp edges, creating a safer working environment for your employees.

Cans

Cans and drums are another type of waste material that’s bulky and full of void space. Can crushers are able to reduce the volume of your cans by up to 90% and encourage your employees to separate your cans from your general stream.

Styrofoam

Clean, compacted Styrofoam (EPS) is a highly-desirable recyclable and some companies are prepared to pay up to £400 per tonne. However, Styrofoam is extremely bulky, which is where a polystyrene compactor can pay dividends. These powerful machines can compact Styrofoam at a ratio between 40:1 and 90:1.

Hazardous Waste

Dewatering

Liquid can make your refuse significantly heavier compared to its dry state. A dewatering machine can remove residual liquids from your leftover products, including draining plastic cups, cans or bottles, as well as removing green waste. They can also drain sewage sludge, which can make your rubbish safer as well as easier to transport.

What Are the Benefits of Using Compactors?

A compactor can be suitable for businesses that generate a lot of bulky litter and helps to:

Reduce the volume of rubbish, saving storage space on-site;
Decrease the number of collections needed; and
Save money on waste disposal.

Which Machines Are Best Suited to Your Business?

A baler or compactor can vastly improve waste management processes for businesses that generate high volumes of unneeded by-products. The most suitable machine for your business depends on the types of materials that you handle regularly, as well as your sustainability goals.

A baler is highly suited to environments that generate significant amounts of dry recyclables, such as distribution centres, paper mills or producers of paper, metals or plastics. However, if your business tends to generate significant amounts of non-recyclable material that needs to be sent to a landfill, then a compactor may be a better option.

Discover Our Waste Balers and Compactors

Waste management can be big business and investing in the proper tools can save you time, money and space. At QCR, we offer a wide range of balers and compactors that can handle virtually any material. Get in touch with us today to discuss your business specifications to find the right solution for you.