Plastic Balers

Plastic Balers Frequently Asked Questions

• What is a plastic baler?

  A plastic baler is a type of recycling machine utilised to process plastic waste into a format that allows for easy and efficient storage on site in preparation for collection and onward sale by a waste management services provider.

• What size plastic baler is best?

  Plastic baler machines come in a variety of sizes and have fundamental differences that impact the type of plastic that can baled. The size also impacts how quickly and how much material can be loaded before the machine needs to cycle; as well as the size of material that can fit in.

  We have provided some general guidance below:

  Baler Filling Opening: Ease of Loading

  When considering the size of the plastic waste that requires baling as an example, a large plastic drum or crate will not fit in the opening of a small baler. Even if you have a larger opening, you may not be able to fit much waste in before needing to cycle the machine. In this instance, you would likely require a horizontal baler with a large splayed hopper to provide maximum capacity. Conversly however, all sizes of plastic baler would be suitable for recycling plastic films.

  Bale Size: Storage and Floor Space

  When considering available space inside or outside to store bales, it’s good to consider the differences between a large and small plastic bale:

  A typical small baler will produce a bale of: 700 x 500 x 500 (L x W x H mm) versus a larger mill size baler being: 1200 x 800 x 1100 in size.

  A small bale will require ejecting from the machine regularly whereas a larger bale will not. A larger bale will also be more structurally sound and safer to stack using a forklift or bale stacker, whilst a smaller bale would be easy to move on a sack truck.

  Bale Weight: Maximising Tonnage

  If there are limitations on space but an emphasis on receiving the best rebates for baled plastic, a larger baler with a high press force will be required; especially if the plastic is more rigid in nature.

  A mill size baler produces a bale that weighs at least 450kg. This means that for every 1 square metre of floor space, with a double stacked bale, you could have just under 1 tonne of material. Where safe and appropriate to do so, you could have at least 1.35 tonnes of material stacked 3 high (being approx. 3.3 metres excluding pallets) for every square metre of floor space.

  For bales typically stacked 2 high then, with 20 square metres of floor space, you would have an artic load of material.

  Based on these tonnages, you would obtain the best market rates, with Compact & Bale offering the below rates:

  Rates are per tonne as of April 2022

  • Selling cardboard up to £130
  • Selling Plastic up to £300
  • Selling paper (such as sorted office paper) up to £200
  • Selling Tins & Cans up to £250
  • Selling Polystyrene up to £550

  When looking at a small or medium-mid-range baler you will find that due to the significantly reduced bale weight and size, recycling partners will have to break the bales open and reprocess them into a mill-size bale. This partner will have transported less tonnage on the collecting vehicle, which potentially results in greater costs with handling the material. These factors result in a lower rebate paid  unless the provider is flexibly collecting material alongside other sites on a route.

  We will make recommendations on the right baler for plastics considering the available floor space, headroom, access, storage and location for collections.

• What are the different types of plastic baler?

  Not all balers are the same. Whilst they are used for the same purpose, they produce vastly different results.

  To help you identify which type of baler may be best for you, here are the five typical types of baler:

  Vertical Balers

  This type of baler is the most commonly found machine on the market and takes up the smallest footprint by standing upright. They are typically taller than they are wide.

  This range of balers can be found in small and low headroom environments or could be as tall as 4 metres.

  They are ideal for companies with limited space and provide options for small to mid volume producers of waste. You may find these machines are most suitable if you produce less than 20 tonnes of recycling per week.

  The more material you need to recycle, the less this range is typically efficient however because you are restricted by the cycle time of the machine. During the machines cycle, the door is closed to the chamber to prevent further filling and potential for injury, you can not continue filling until the door re-opens.

  Multi-Chamber Balers

  This is a vertical baler but with multiple chambers (up to four). This means you could recycle your cardboard, plastic film, rigid plastics, tins and cans as example, in one machine. You could alternatively, cycle the machine and while it is baling in one chamber,  continue filling in the other. You might only want to do this however if you do not have headroom for a larger machine.

  Horizontal/Semi Automatic Balers

  This type are particularly popular for mid to large size producers. This is because the models can come with a splayed hopper which sits atop the machine and can be continually filled while the machine cycles. You can also fit a photocell so that the machine cycles automatically, which ensures the operator only needs to focus on filling the machine with material until the bale is ready to be ejected. This machine typically has significantly less downtime than a vertical baler machine but still requires to be manually tied off once the baler is ready to eject.

  Fully Automatic/Channel Balers

  Like the above semi automatic balers, these models can be continually fed by a conveyer, chute, bin lift, extraction system by hand and from a dock or from ground level.

  They will also fully tie the bale and eject out onto a ramp. Dependent on the size of the ramp, you will save significant amounts of labour and prevent production stoppages.

  With the right in-feed option you could have a fully autonomous baling operation.

  They can also be fitting with modems and other specialist controls to notify remote operators of any issues (such as when the bale ramp is full requiring bales to be collected) as well as to provide controls and timing of material feeds.

  Twin-Ram Balers

  Two ram balers are the most effective balers for processing different types of material. This could be cardboard, hard plastics, RFD or plastic films; these models produce extreme bale weights and densities.

  What’s the difference between a Fully Automatic or Twin?

  The main consideration is heavier bale weights and on average a twin ram baler will process wider and greater volumes of waste materials whereas a fully auto or Channel baler is suited only for one material at a time such as for processing cardboard in a production plant or distribution centre.

• Where can we sell our baled plastics?

  Your bales can be sold to a variety of granulators, manufacturers, reprocessors and exporters around the UK.

  Fortunately for Compact & Bale customers, this service is provided with every new machine installed.

  Our collections team have been purchasing commodities for 21 years, with a network that has grown to cover the majority of mainland UK. Your material will go to either a UK plant or to an export market, subject to your preference.

  This means if you purchase any plastic baler from our business, we will provide you with the best rates you can expect based on the material quality, site storage, baler size and accessibility.

  As part of our proposals, we will factor in your commodities and provide an offer for the material at current market rates.

  Providing you with a complete solution from the proposal stage through to the on-going operation.

  Rates are per tonne as of April 2022 and do not include haulier or reprocessing costs

  Plastic Film Buyers

  • UK PE Printed £330
  • UK Clear Natural £540
  • MRF Film £-70
  • 80:20 £40
  • 90:10 £300
  • 95:5 £400
  • 98:2 £510

  Bottles

  • Clear & Blue PET £540
  • Mixed Coloured PET £-25
  • HDPE Natural £800
  • HDPE Mixed Coloured £520
  • Mixed Bottles £240
  • Pots, Tubs, Trays £90
• How much is plastic worth?

  Rates are per tonne as of April 2022 and do not include haulier or reprocessing costs

  Plastic Film Buyers

  • UK PE Printed £330
  • UK Clear Natural £540
  • MRF Film £-70
  • 80:20 £40
  • 90:10 £300
  • 95:5 £400
  • 98:2 £510

  Bottles

  • Clear & Blue PET £540
  • Mixed Coloured PET £-25
  • HDPE Natural £800
  • HDPE Mixed Coloured £520
  • Mixed Bottles £240
  • Pots, Tubs, Trays £90
• What maintenance is required for a plastic baler?

  Our business has been trading since 2000 and with a long history comes experience and reach. Our team has grown significantly over this period from a small office to a large production workshop with a highly skilled team of engineers.

  Servicing

  Our engineers are based around the UK in the South, Midlands and North providing regular Baler Servicing to all our clients.

  Servicing is typically carried out every six months and all our customers have an account to access all their maintenance records.

  In some instances, servicing for a plastic baler machine may be required more regularly dependent on the size of the baler and how much use or material it receives.

  Breakdowns

  In the unlikely event that your machine breaks down, we operate a standard 24 hour call out time to attend and carry out repairs.

  Our baler engineers are experienced with repairing all manner of typical faults including those that are very much unexpected.

  The good news is, as suppliers of high quality equipment, these instances are very much a rare occurrence.

  Maintenance Plans

  If you are looking to hire a baler then you are fully covered for both periodical servicing and breakdowns.

  All repairs include baler parts unless the damage is as a result of user error or negligence.

  If you are looking to outright purchase a baler, then we have a number of plans providing excellent cover which are bespoke to each type of machine.

• What baler is best for plastic films?

  The filters at the top of this page can be utilised to find the most appropriate plastic baler based on weekly waste volume.

  Consideration should then be given to the size and type of baler required, we have provided some examples in the answers above to assist.

  Plastic films are relatively straight forward and all of the of machines listed can bale plastic films.

• What baler is best for hard rigid plastics?

  The filters at the top of this page can be utilised to find the most appropriate plastic baler based on weekly waste volume.

  Consideration should then be given to the size and type of baler required, we have provided some examples in the answers above to assist.

  If hard, rigid plastics are being baled then a horizontal baler would more than likely be required.

• Plastic Bottle Balers - What Models Are Best?

  When evaluating the optimal bottle baler for your needs, your initial consideration should be the type of plastic you intend to process with the machine. For instance, are you planning to compact HDPE plastic or PET plastic? HDPE bottles typically possess greater thickness and rigidity, and they are generally larger in size, ranging from as small as half a liter (1 pint) like milk bottles, up to 20-liter chemical containers, and even 30-liter jerrycans, among others.

  If your objective is to efficiently compress HDPE material into compact and heavy bales, you will not only require a stronger pressing force but also a larger chamber capable of accommodating more material. This enhances efficiency as it reduces the time spent on cycling the machine, as you can process significantly larger quantities while also obtaining a vastly heavier bale on ejection. The provided images below show plastic kegs being baled in our PowerPack 1208 baler.

  

  

  If you were to attempt to process such plastics in our small baler machines you would find this to be highly inefficient with poor results on bale weights:

  

  However, if you’re in search of a PET bottle baler, the smaller machines may suffice subject to the volume you produce. PET bottles are commonly used for storing food, beverages, and cosmetics, and they are generally thinner and more fragile. This characteristic makes them easier to compact, in addition to the fact that they are typically smaller in size.

  Another option for processing plastic bottles is to utilise two ram balers, which are commonly referred to as having additional chambers rather than rams. With this setup, you can process HDPE in one chamber and PET in a second chamber, all using a single machine. In such cases, it’s advisable to acquire a long-stroke model, as it allows the press plate to reach further into the chamber effectively compressing the various types of plastics you intend to bale.