Cardboard is a valuable recycling commodity; recycling cardboard correctly can be a revenue income for your business as most waste collectors will offer to buy it from you or credit it against your general waste collection. Businesses looking to become more sustainable or environmentally friendly often choose to invest in a cardboard baler or compactor to drastically reduce their waste volumes and reduce the cost involved in the handling of bins.Cardboard is 100% recyclable, so it is easy to recycle and re-introduce into the paper chain. Manufacturing recycled paper instead of new paper ‘uses 54% less energy and 58% less water’.
Cardboard is widely used in packaging, from large boxes used in transportation to the finished product you see on shelves. In Ireland the recycling rate for packaging waste in 2019 was 66% and the recovery rate was 86% as of September 2019. In the UK, figures for 2017 show that 70% of packaging waste was either recycled or recovered. This highlights the importance at which both households and commercial businesses are taking to recycle packaging waste materials, namely cardboard.
The Benefits of Using A Cardboard Baler or Compactor
Wondering why you should invest in a cardboard baler or compactor? If your business is producing a vast amount of cardboard waste or are just simply running out of space for large recycling bins, then a cardboard baler or compactor is the right option for you. Cardboard is used extensively for packaging and as much as we may try, it can be very hard to avoid.
The benefits include:
How Does A Cardboard Baler Work?
The concept remains the same no matter which baler machine you use, plastic is removed from cardboard before it is loaded evenly into an empty chamber. Once the chamber is full, and the door securely closed, a hydraulic pressplate compacts the cardboard into a bale.
The bale size will vary depending on the machine you are using. For example, Moovmor’s Smallest cardboard baler, the Balemaster 100, produces a bale size of 700mm x 600mm x 600mm, while our MX500-36T, a larger machine produces bales up to 500kg in weight. Cardboard Balers are designed to make the task of recycling cardboard easy and safe. It is also very environmentally friendly as these bales can then be recycled. Reducing the need for more recycling bins and the cost involved in lifting such recycling bins. Installing a cardboard baler, takes away the cost of bins and improves the overall waste management of a business.
How Does A Cardboard Compactor Work?
Compactors are largely designed for industrial or commercial use where wheelie bins or small trucks can easily empty waste into the charge box before compacting it. They are a high performing machine, capable of compacting tonnes of waste per hour. They are robust, hard wearing and built to last, making them a good investment for any business. They can also be used to compact a wide range of materials, whether they are sorted or not.
Similarly, to the baler, once cardboard (or other waste materials) have been inserted into the machine, a metal pressplate is used to crush the waste material into smaller more compact pieces. They’re designed to minimise the volume of mixed waste and to make disposal quicker and easier.
Choosing The Right Baler Or Compactor For Your Business
Baler machines are generally seen to help with the recycling of cardboard waste, while compactors are more associated with compressing large amounts of mixed waste material. All Moovmor compactors are also suitable for cardboard use. Moovmor’s range of balers and compactors come with standard options as well as a wide variety of fit out options making them extremely versatile and suitable for a wide range of industries.
Choosing between a Horizontal or Vertical Baler – This decision will depend on a number of factors such as the volumes of recyclable materials you build up on a daily basis , the manpower available to the business and the space you have available for your machine. Vertical balers would be mainly used for smaller amounts of material and where space is limited whereas horizontal balers would take up more space but are capable of recycling a larger amount of material.
Choosing between a portable, static or transfer compactor – There is a wide selection of compactors to choose from. For many commercial or industrial businesses portable or static compactors are widely used where there is the option to fully customise and add additional features to suit any requirements.
Size – As cardboard balers and compactors come in a wide range of shapes and sizes, it may be difficult to establish which one is best for you. The amount of space you have available to install a baler or compactor will be a big factor in your decision. As will the waste output. Do you have room to store bales or the availability of equipment to easily move compacted waste?
Compaction force of the machine – With such a wide range of balers and compactors available, it is important to know their outputs. A lower powered machine is suitable for low cardboard volumes while more force will be necessary to compact high volumes of cardboard waste.
What is the average lifespan of a Cardboard Baler or Compactor?
The lifespan of any machine would depend on its usage and whether it has been regularly maintained. Here at Moovmor some of our machines have been in operation for over 30 years. They are hand crafted to the highest quality and specifications possible. Rigorous testing is carried out to ensure the quality of each product, providing reassurance that each machine is fit to last for a very long time. We also provide ongoing service and support to your business
A 2018 study conducted by the EPA, showed that in non-household waste collections, paper and cardboard made up 51% of waste in recycling bins, 28% in general waste bins and 3% in organic waste bins. They stated that there were 6 main sectors contributing to the non-household waste, which included hotels, restaurants, general retail, food retail, offices and wholesale businesses. Moovmor have been helping such industries to recycle and reduce their overall waste volumes for over 30 years with our range of balers and compactors.
Contact us today to find out what solution is best for your business