Compacting or baling waste – what’s the difference?
Compacting or baling waste both reduce waste volume and have similar benefits. Which process is right for your business will depend on the material being reduced and what happens to it next. Some materials are particularly suited to one or the other, while others (like cardboard) can be baled or compacted.
Baling waste
What is baling?
Baling is a process that compresses material into a block (bale) which is secured by plastic or wire strapping.
Why bale?
Baling reduces the volume of waste product, which has a number of benefits…
Benefits of baling
Space
- Reduces space taken up by waste on site
- Easier to store due to regular shape
- Increases ease of transportation
Costs
- Reduced storage costs
- Lower transportation costs
- Reduced waste disposal costs
- Increased revenue (some baled materials can be sold to recyclers creating additional revenue)
Environmental
- Baled waste requires fewer vehicles for transportation
Examples of materials that can be baled:
- Cars
- Metal
- Paper including newspapers and magazines
- Cardboard
- Plastics
- Grass
- Textiles
- MSW
- Refused Derived Fuel
- Tyres/Rubber
- Film
- Tetra Paks and cartons
- WEEE
Baling solutions
We offer a wide range of baling solutions. From mini balers, capable of producing a bale of 50-70kg, to fully automatic balers that can produce a bale of around 500kg (for plastic bottles). No matter what material you need to bale PRM Waste systems will have the equipment based solution for you.
Compacting waste
What is compacting?
Compacting reduces the volume of dry and wet waste through, quite literally, compacting it. Compactors are used in a wide variety of industries for compacting waste – from food waste to general waste.
Why compact?
Like baling, compacting reduces the volume of waste materials.
Benefits of compacting
Space
- Reduces space taken up by waste on site
- Easier to store due to regular shape
- Increases ease of transportation
Costs
- Reduced storage costs
- Lower transportation costs
- Reduced waste disposal costs
Environmental
- Compacted waste requires fewer vehicles for transportation.
Examples of materials that can be compacted:
- Bed springs
- Blister packs
- Cardboard
- Cosmetics and pharmaceuticals
- General waste
- Wood pallets
- Textiles
- Tyres/Rubber
- Food waste
- EPS (expanded polystyrene)
This is no means a complete list. The increasing capability of compactors means they have an almost endless list of applications.
Compacting solutions
We offer a wide variety of compaction equipment ranging from static compactors, portable compactors and the Runi screw compactor (which is capable of processing EPS and bed springs).
