Incorporating a Cardboard Baler into Your Waste Management Process

Incorporating a Cardboard Baler into Your Waste Management Process

In Equipment, Recycling, Waste Management, Waste Management Plan by David FahrionLeave a Comment

If your business generates a significant amount of cardboard waste, managing and disposing all of it is likely to be a major challenge. One effective way to manage your waste is by incorporating a cardboard baler into your overall waste management process. 

What is a cardboard baler, and how can it support your waste management process? Let’s take a closer look.

What Is A Cardboard Baler?

A cardboard baler is a machine that compresses and compacts cardboard waste into manageable bales. Balers hold cardboard waste and compress the material with a hydraulic press. Depending on the size of the baler and the volume of cardboard waste generated, businesses can typically reduce waste volume by up to 90%. This is a significant reduction in the volume of your cardboard waste, making it much easier to handle and reducing your transport and disposal costs.

Let’s take a closer look now at some of the best practices for incorporating a baler into your business’s waste management process.

Assess Your Business Waste Needs

Assessing your business’s needs is the first step in incorporating a cardboard baler into your waste management process. It’s essential to understand your business’s waste output to determine the size, quantity, and type of baler that will best suit your needs. This will ensure you get the most effective solution for your business, reducing waste disposal costs and making your business more environmentally sustainable.

How Much Cardboard Waste Does Your Business Produce?

The volume of cardboard waste your business generates daily will play a key role in determining the kind of baler you will need. Small businesses generate relatively smaller amounts of cardboard in the 25-50 lbs per day range. On the other hand, larger businesses may generate a more significant amount of cardboard waste in the 500 – 1000 lbs range. Let’s take a look now at how waste quantity determines baler type.

Type of Baler Machine

Vertical balers are compact and space-efficient, making them ideal for businesses that generate a small amount of cardboard waste. Horizontal balers are larger and capable of handling up to ten times as much waste as vertical balers, making them suitable for larger businesses. Auto-tie balers are the most advanced type of baler. They automate the baling process and are capable of handling upwards of 1000 lbs of cardboard waste every day. 

Buy or rent – What’s the Best Way to Utilize a Cardboard Baler?

Understanding exactly how you’re going to leverage your cardboard baler is a key question you’ll want to answer. Let’s take a closer look.

Buying a New Baler

One option to access a cardboard baler is to purchase a new one. The main benefit of purchasing a new baler is that you will have ownership of the equipment. This can provide long-term cost savings if you expect to generate a consistent volume of cardboard waste. You can also customize the baler to your specific business needs, ensuring it’s the right size, quantity, and type of baler for your waste management process. Additionally, new balers will come with after sales service and warranties, reducing your risk if something breaks down.

However, purchasing a new baler can be a significant upfront cost for your business. You’ll need to determine whether that cost is commensurate with your long-term needs.

Renting a Baler

Another option is to rent a cardboard baler. Renting a baler can provide your business with a cost-effective short to medium-term solution for managing your cardboard waste. You won’t have to deal with the significant upfront cost of purchasing a new baler or long term maintenance costs. Renting is a solid option if you expect to generate a higher-than-usual amount of cardboard waste over a limited amount of time.

However, renting a baler also has key drawbacks. You will not have ownership of the equipment, and rental costs can add up over time, potentially exceeding the cost of purchasing a new baler in the long run. You will also be limited in terms of customization, as you will have to choose from the available rental options.

Optimize Your Cardboard Baling Process

Once you’ve decided to incorporate a cardboard baler into your waste management process, it’s critical to optimize your baling process to save time, minimize overhead, and ensure employee safety.

Train Your Employees

You will need to ensure that your employees know how to properly operate baler machines. Training should cover all safety protocols, proper loading techniques, and maintenance procedures. By ensuring that your employees are well-trained, you can prevent accidents and maximize the efficiency of your baler.

Implement a Collection System

To maximize the efficiency of your cardboard baler, it’s important to implement a structured collection system for your cardboard waste. This can include designated collection bins, a schedule for pick-ups, and a system for monitoring the volume of waste generated. By implementing a collection system, you’ll ensure that your cardboard waste is properly managed and baled in a timely manner.

Optimize Loading And Compaction

It’s critical to properly load and compact your cardboard waste. This includes preventing non-cardboard materials like plastic or metal being loaded and ensuring that the cardboard is flattened and stacked neatly. By optimizing baling efficiency, you can reduce the volume of waste you generate and increase the amount of material you recycle.

Maintain Your Baler

Proper maintenance is critical for ensuring that your baler works efficiently in the long term, with minimal downtime. Make sure to follow the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance schedule and procedures. Common baler maintenance tasks include checking and replacing hydraulic fluids, replacing worn parts like belts and chains, and adjusting settings on the baler.

When working with Waste Control, we’re able to support you with maintenance and repair, ensuring that your baler always operates efficiently, and empowering you to focus on other tasks.

Sell Your Baled Cardboard

If you generate a high volume of cardboard waste, one of the best reasons to use a baler machine is the revenue generated by selling baled cardboard. Baled cardboard sells for up to $200 per ton. If you’re generating a lot of cardboard waste, a baler can help either significantly offset cardboard disposal costs, or even generate some profit. By following the best processes we’ve discussed here, you’ll be able to maximize your baled cardboard output at minimum cost.

Incorporating Cardboard Baling Into your  Overall Waste Management Strategy

 Incorporating a cardboard baler into your business’s waste management process can provide significant benefits, from reducing waste volume to improving efficiency, and even generating additional income. Waste Control can help you implement cardboard baling best practices to ensure that you’re getting the most from your equipment. With decades of experience, Waste Control can also help you build an integrated strategy that ties baling into your overall approach to waste management – this can mean significant cost savings, a more streamlined process, regulatory compliance, and long term environmental sustainability. Reach out today! Let’s talk about how Waste Control can help you with your cardboard baling needs.