Welcome -- Think Twice, Purchase Once (Baler Supplement)

When it comes to buying something that can cost $100,000 or more (and that has to last for many years), it makes sense to do one’s homework. Even recycling industry veterans who have learned a good deal about balers will almost certainly learn something more when conducting research into balers.

In the course of that research, a recycler is likely to encounter some pointed questions from baler sales personnel (at least from the ones who are doing their jobs well). To provide a baler that is right for the application, they’ll need to know both a recycling company’s operations and its priorities.

To a distant observer, balers may seem interchangeable: they squeeze material into a cube, over and over again. But those whose profits depend on good baling practices start learning about the differences early on.

In this year’s Recycling Today Baler Guide, we’ve tried to address several of the key baler aspects that factor into a purchasing decision. Recyclers of many different materials and with many different volume needs go shopping for balers, so which factors are most important varies from case to case.

For some recyclers, sheer output-how many tons can be baled per hour-will outweigh all other considerations. High-volume recyclers of commodities such as old corrugated containers (OCC) and old newspapers (ONP) will certainly take a look at factors such as energy costs, wire costs, reliability, and ease of maintenance, but the first number they’ll probably want to see is tons per hour output.

Other recyclers, in settings such as at material recovery facilities (MRFs), will need a machine that can reliably handle a variety of materials. Volume can be very important at a MRF also, of course, but so is versatility.

And some operators know ahead of time that their baler will need to be built tough to withstand a difficult operating environment.

Portability, durability, maximum compression force-all of these and other factors may need to be considered. So what may seem simple from a distance can rightfully involve a great deal of thought.