5 Top Tips for Switching from Bins to a Waste Baler

If you’ve not used a waste baler before, making the switch from using recycling bins to a baler can be a little daunting. Afterall, bins have long been the go-to solution for business waste. However, with the cost-of-living crisis putting pressure on workplaces to boost productivity and efficiency, many businesses are now biting the bullet and giving baling a try. Based on our 25 years of experience of supplying waste balers and bin compactors, here’s our guide on how to take your first step in making a change to your waste management processes.

1. Conduct a bin audit

Step outside and count the number of commercial recycling bins at your business premises and then check your invoices to find out how much you pay to have them emptied. In addition to this, watch how long it is taking your colleagues to walk back and forth to your bin area and manually flatten boxes so that they fit inside. The next step of your investigations around your bin store should be a quick look inside to find out how many hold just cardboard and plastic. You’ll need this information because after the installation of a waste baler, those bins can be removed entirely. 

2. Check your Waste Collection contract

Commercial bin emptying is an incredibly competitive industry and as a result, your waste collector isn’t going to want to say goodbye, especially if they are charging you lots of money routinely empty recycling bins that are only partially full of waste. You’ll still need bins for non-recyclable general waste, but if you make the change, you won’t need as many for your recycling. Check for any termination fees in your waste contract. It’s easy to lose momentum at this point but if cost reduction is your aim this can be a very worthwhile exercise. 

3. Shop around for suppliers

Whittle down suppliers by looking at customer reviews, breadth of range and after-sales support. Choosing a supplier that offers free, no-obligation equipment trials can give you valuable experience of both the machine itself and the level of support offered by the people that sold or hired it to you. Watch out for hidden fees such as delivery, installation and commissioning costs. Before you go ahead with the purchase or hire of equipment, find out who will be installing and delivering it to your site. This is because choosing a supplier without nationwide coverage could lead to the arrival of a subcontractor at your premises who doesn’t know how to run or install it properly. 

4. Consider your future needs

Every business hopes to grow in the future, therefore it’s important to consider what you will do if the baler you install now is no longer suitable for your waste in the future. This is where renting a machine can offer more benefits than purchasing outright. However, if you do decide to buy, it is worth asking the supplier if they offer a buy-back scheme. 

5. Training needs

Your current and future colleagues will need to be trained to operate it safely. From a health and safety perspective, this training must be thorough and documented which is why many businesses choose to hire a baler where free training and training documents are provided for free as part of the contract. Buying a machine from a manufacturer, rather than an online marketplace, will guarantee that you’ll receive the full instruction manual and the machine is supplied with the correct safety stickers applied.

Ready to start Waste Baling?

Contact the Waste Baler specialists at QCR Recycling Equipment. We’re an independent supplier of all sizes of Cardboard Compactors that have been expertly designed to help workplaces to switch seamlessly from using recycling bins. In most cases, QCR will visit your business, estimate the savings that can be made through baling, and offer your workplace a free no-obligation waste compactor trial enabling you to accurately calculate the benefits of baling over a period of time. Our nationwide team of SafeContractor™ approved experts live all over the UK so they can provide free in-person advice and training to any organization who are ready to make the change.