What Can and Can’t Go Inside a Cardboard Baler

Cardboard Balers are a popular alternative to bins for businesses who produce cardboard waste. Although they vary in size, power and operation, the rules for what can and cannot be placed inside a baler remain the same. When done correctly and in sufficient volumes, cardboard baling could produce money for your business therefore it is important to follow the rules to ensure the bales you produce fulfil the right criteria. 

What Is a Cardboard Baler?

A cardboard baler is a type of recycling equipment that mechanically compresses cardboard into dense bundles which are secured by strapping. They are powered by either hydraulics or pneumatics and feature a pressing plate crushing loose material either horizontally or vertically into bales. Cardboard balers can often be used to bale other materials such as plastic, but different waste types must be baled separately to avoid material contamination.

What Can Go Inside a Cardboard Baler

When it comes to using waste baling equipment, it's important to know what can go inside to minimize the risk of your bales being rejected by the Cardboard Bale Collection Company. Both loose and whole cardboard boxes can be placed inside your baler for crushing. Balers are versatile and can be used to compress many types of recyclable waste. However, it is important to get advice from your supplier to ensure the specific machinery you have is suitable for your waste type as specialist baling equipment is available for other waste materials such as empty drinks aluminium cans.

What Can’t Go Inside a Cardboard Baler 

We have established that all sizes of cardboard can go into a baling machine. But, it is also important to know that the box or material you put into the machine shouldn’t be dirty. For instance, cardboard that has come in contact and has been soiled with food, grease, glitter and other organic or hazardous materials should be kept away from the machine to prevent contamination. Also, to avoid damage to the machine, double check the used boxes do not contain metal, plastic or polystyrene objects prior to placing them inside.

What Type of Cardboard Can Be Placed in a Baler

Many different cardboard types that can easily go into a baling machine:

•    Whole cardboard boxes
•    Corrugated cardboard with any polystyrene and plastic inserts removed

Although a cardboard baler can be located outside your building, it is important to ensure that your compacted cardboard bales remain dry as wet material will be rejected. We’d recommend either storing them inside, or outside on a pallet and wrapped in a waterproof cover.

Loose cardboard waste can be bound into bales by using either baler banding, tapes or wires. It is very important to ensure that your bales are secured with high-quality materials as they need to remain intact on route to the Recycling Facility. Bales bound with poor quality or an unsuitable type of strapping could pose a health and safety risk therefore it is important to source your baling consumables from a retailer with experience of waste baler banding. Loosely bound bales will not be collected by a Recycler and will need to be re-processed. 

What Can Go Wrong If You Misuse Your Baler

Every machine bought from a reputable supplier comes with a set of instructions, or a manual, to help you use it safely. Not reading the manual could cause lasting damage to the machine and compromise user safety. Routine baler maintenance by a trained professional is important for the longevity of the machine. A correctly serviced machine can deliver many years of waste baling service to your business. However, putting off regular inspections or ignoring damage could result in large future bills or much worse, an injury.

Why the Size of your Cardboard Baler Is Important

The size of your cardboard recycling baler will determine the size and therefore the value of your cardboard bales. Larger bales, known as mill size, deliver the best returns for your cardboard waste. Larger balers also have the benefit of a larger aperture and more power there you can place larger boxes inside it without the need for flattening them first which leads to efficiency benefits.

Cardboard Balers At QCR

Depending on what you're looking to achieve in terms of bale size and weight, QCR offers different sizes of balers for cardboard waste which are available for both rental or purchase. These include:

•    Stockroom Waste Balers
•    Warehouse Waste Balers
•    Mill Size Waste Balers for outside or inside a building
•    Horizontal Waste Balers for very large amounts of waste

You can get more detailed expert advice about cardboard waste baling from the team at QCR Recycling Equipment.