What to Look for When Buying a Glass Crusher

These machines crush empty bottles into very small pieces. They’re a great solution for businesses with limited waste storage space or infrequent collections of glass waste. Sometimes it can be difficult to know where to start with your search so we’ve put together a guide to help you find the best choice for you. 

What Type of Glass Crusher Suits Your Business

When weighing up the benefits, here are some questions to ask yourself: 

• Are bottles building up quickly? Bottle waste is voluminous, and broken bottles can create a safety hazard for your employees. Getting a crusher is an great solution to stop bottle bins from building up around the workplace.
• Are you paying for glass bins? When bottles are compacted, you’ll need fewer bins. If you pay for glass bin hire, significant savings can be made.
• Are your front of house team wasting time moving bottle skips around? When bottles are crushed within the bar area, time walking to and from the bin areas are drastically reduced.
• Will your waste collector accept crushed glass? Crushed glass can easily be processed at recycling centres and made into something new. However, a small number of waste collection companies don’t collect crushed bottles so it’s always better to check first.

If you said yes to any of these, it might be time to start exploring your options for a glass crusher. 

How Many Bottles Need To Be Crushed?  

To determine what type of machine you need, you must estimate how much glass bottle waste your business will produce on average each month. For many small pubs, restaurants and hotels with low volumes of bottles, a single-feed machine will be most appropriate. With this type of solution, bottles are individually fed into the machine by hand. For businesses that have lots of empty bottles, a machine with a larger feed opening will be more efficient. The benefits of using a machine with a larger hopper is that small box of bottles can be fed into the machine at once. Once you know your glass waste volumes, you can start exploring all models to find what suits you. 

What Size Do You Need?

 As well as knowing how many bottles you produce, you also need to mindful of their circumference. Whether you customers prefer bottles of beer or bottles of champagne will also affect your machine selection. If your feed opening isn’t big enough, you won’t get the full benefit of your new equipment. For businesses with lots of thirsty customers, a crusher that deposits bottles straight into a wheeled glass bin are the most efficient choice.

Where Will You Install It?

 If space is limited back of house, you’ll be glad to know that some glass crushing machines can be installed outside under a canopy. Our smallest units are powered by a 13 amp standard plug making installation quick and straightforward. 

How Long Will You Need It For?  

There are many reasons why you might only need a crusher for a short period of time. You could be experiencing a seasonal spike in customers and need a temporary solution for increased bottle waste. Or you may wish to trial a machine for an extended period before committing to a purchase. For hospitality businesses that close during January, choosing a short term rental contract tailored to your plans will mean that you can have the machine collected when your business is not trading.

The Cost  

A fixed monthly rental cost which includes free routine machine servicing as part of the package can be a great option for busy hospitality business owners. Equally, for those who like a bargain, a refurbished machine supplied with a warranty from a reputable supplier can be a good choice. If not properly maintained, this equipment can cause injury therefore it is important to buy your equipment from a trusted distributor.

Contact QCR for Information on Glass Crushers 

Here at QCR, we have one of the broadest ranges of glass crushers available for hire. If you rent from us, we offer free routine crusher servicing, free delivery to many places in the UK, free ongoing user training and fixed pricing throughout your contract. Businesses that who buy from us are offered free 12 month warranty regardless of whether you choose new or used equipment. If you’re unsure on which model to choose, in most cases we can offer your business a free machine trial. With no obligation to rent or purchase, we can also do a free confidential visit to your site to help you choose the best solution to match your business needs.

We also have a range of other solutions for waste materials like cardboard, plastic, polystyrene, paint cans and empty drums. Our friendly expert team are happy to give any advice or answers to questions you have. We’re also Safe Contractor accredited with over 25 years of experience, so you know you’re in safe hands.