Where Do I Store My Cardboard Baler?

Cardboard balers are all about efficiency: the right model for you will make your life easier, saving you money, time and space – not to mention boosting your company’s eco-friendliness as you recycle more effectively. If you’re new to cardboard baling and have just made the decision to use one for your own business, you may be wondering about where to place it on your premises.

Things to consider

The first consideration is size. Our customers are often surprised how little space is require for a baler. Your chosen cardboard baler can range from taking up just a few square feet to needing its own dedicated area in a recycling room or warehouse. It all depends on your business’ needs and the volume of recyclable waste you produce. Since many balers are tricky to move once positioned, you need to spare a thought to the ideal location so you don’t have to move it later. QCR will advise on the most suitable location.

The ideal baler location will be where there is good space around the machine to maneuver properly.

It goes without saying but think carefully about the baled cardboard once it leaves the machine – you’ll need enough clearance in the front of the baler so that it can properly eject the baled cardboard, as well as give people space to step aside. If you use forklifts or similar, you’ll need to plan ahead so these can navigate easily around the baler.

Another thing to consider is power source. The baler should also be somewhere out of the reach of children and animals and shouldn’t inconvenience your staff. Place the baler on a clean, sturdy and level surface and make sure that there’s no exposure to rain – important to remember if you place your baler in an outdoor warehouse or stock room.

The best spot for your cardboard baler

Start by thinking about your general procedure for producing and recycling waste. The idea is to simplify the process. To save staff time you want the waste baler located as close to the source of waste as possible. This could be the point at which boxes are emptied and sorted, or near to where you typically receive deliveries.

The ideal spot for you will depend on the size of the cardboard baler, the size of your business, and the path that waste material typically follows through your premises. Try to cut down on the amount of time spent carrying or shuttling boxes and packaging. This may mean putting the baler at the back of a storeroom or stock room, a warehouse, a bin area, or at the end of a production line.

Many business owners place their balers along with their general recycling, so that the finished bales don’t have to travel far and can then be collected from where they stand. Food and hospitality businesses may need their baler near a bar or kitchen area, or the cellar or basement is often a suitable location. QCR has even seen one business put their baler in a wine vault – which makes sense when you think about it!

A cardboard baler should fit into your workflow

It may not seem like a significant decision, but the position of your baler in your premises can actually make a big different to workflow. It may not seem like much to get a member of staff to carry empty boxes to a dolly and then over to a baler stored 5 minutes’ walk away, but in time these inefficiencies add up.

You could take a few days to observe and map out the flow of wastepaper materials throughout your business, and then position the baler at those points in the assembly or production line that make the most sense. A site or virtual survey from QCR will quickly determine the best location from a baler. Over the last 21 years we’ve located our recycling equipment all sorts of locations.

A baler is there to make your life easier, so it should be positioned in such a way that doesn’t necessitate any extra work. Iron out a recycling protocol or process for staff to follow, and soon the baler will slot seamlessly into your day-to-day business proceedings.