What a baling machine does with cardboard and film

A baling machine compresses loose cardboard, film or paper into compact bales for easier handling and recycling. The process reduces the space needed for waste and helps organize recycling streams in a warehouse or factory.

On the TONNA E60, for example, open the upper door, load the material and close it; the platen then goes down by itself. Repeat this until the machine shows that the bale is full. Tie the straps with the platen down, so the bale keeps its size when the platen goes up, then raise the platen and take the bale out, standing to the side of the doors.

Each time you load material and close the door, the baler compresses a new layer onto the previous one. To get a bale that is flat and stable, spread the cardboard or film evenly across the chamber before you close the door. If you drop material into one corner, the bale will lean and may be harder to stack.

Large boxes do not need to be cut up; fold them or lay them flat. Film springs back more than cardboard, so tie a film bale tightly while the platen holds it. A film bale is also heavier at the same size: on the TONNA E60 40–60 kg against 30–50 kg for cardboard.

On the HSM V-Press 605 eco, a bale ejector pushes the finished bale out of the chamber, which saves manual effort. On balers without a bale ejector, you tip the bale out onto a pallet or a pallet truck. In both cases, stand to the side of the doors when removing the bale, as the pressed material expands.

Choosing a baler machine by pressing force and bale weight

Baler machines are grouped by pressing force and bale weight. Compact vertical balers in the cardboard baler subcategory have a pressing force of 3–5 t and maximum bale weights of 40–80 kg. Medium vertical balers have 5.7–12 t and maximum bale weights of 70–100 kg. Large vertical balers like the TONNA45 and V-Press 818 plus have 18.5–45 t and maximum bale weights of 150–450 kg.

Start with the amount of waste you have each week. A small shop or office with a few boxes a day is served by a compact baler; a warehouse or supermarket with daily deliveries by a medium baler; a distribution center or production site with large volumes of cardboard by a large baler such as the TONNA45 or the V-Press 818 plus. Larger pressing force and heavier bales mean fewer bales and less handling for the same waste.

Handling the finished bale is another point to check. Bales of 40–80 kg can be moved with a hand truck. Heavier bales, such as the 200 kg bales of the V-Press 818 plus or the bales of up to 450 kg from the TONNA45, go on a pallet and are moved with a pallet truck or a forklift. Always plan how you will move and store the bales before choosing the machine.

Check the power supply in your building before you select a baler. The TONNA E60 runs from an ordinary 230 V socket; the HSM V-Press 605 eco needs 400 V, that is a three-phase socket. A bale ejector, as on the HSM V-Press 605 eco, saves the heaviest part of the work where staff handle many bales per week.

Overview table of recycling equipment types

The table below lists the main types of recycling equipment in this category. It gives the models, the pressing force and the bale weight of each machine type.

To use the table, first match the equipment type to your waste. Waste that is already collected in bins points to a bin press, while sorted cardboard or film for recycling fits a vertical baler. If you need padding for shipping, look at the cardboard shredder models. Compare the pressing force and the maximum bale weight with the amount of waste you generate and with the equipment you have for moving bales. For example, if your team moves bales with a hand truck, compact balers with smaller bales are practical; if you use a pallet truck or forklift, larger balers with heavier bales may be suitable.

Bin presses as waste compactors for standard bins

Bin presses such as the TONNA bin press 240L and TONNA1100 are waste compactors for standard 240-liter and 1100-liter bins. They apply a pressing force of 2 t or 3 t to reduce the volume of waste in the bin.

A waste press is enough for small amounts of cardboard or mixed packaging in bins. For larger volumes or when you need bales for recycling, a baler is the better choice.

With a bin press, the waste is pressed in the bin itself: a plate comes down into the bin, so you keep your standard bins and containers and each one holds more before it is emptied. This setup fits workplaces where waste is already collected in these bins, such as small warehouses or retail backrooms.

The collection company empties the same bins as before, so your waste routine does not change. A bin full of pressed waste is much heavier than one full of loose waste. Check the weight limit of the bin and ask the collection company whether it accepts pressed bins: the lifter on the truck has a weight limit, and tightly pressed waste may not fall out when the bin is tipped.

Unlike a baler, a bin press leaves no bales to tie or store. The waste stays in the bin and goes out with the normal collection. You do not get tied, sorted bales that a recycler collects or pays for, but each bin holds more, so it is emptied less often.

What goes into a waste baler and what does not

A waste baler is designed for cardboard, film and paper that are clean and dry. Only one material should be loaded per bale for recycling.

Do not put food, wood or metal into the baler. Keep a separate bin next to the baler for what must not go in, so nobody is tempted to press it with the cardboard.

Before loading cardboard into the chamber, remove anything that is not cardboard: wooden parts, metal, foam and plastic strapping bands. These items can damage the baler or spoil the bale for recycling. For film, keep stretch film and shrink film separate from cardboard. Some recyclers also want clear and printed film kept apart, so check with your recycler before mixing them in a bale.

Keep cardboard dry before baling: a wet bale is heavier, can start to rot and may not be accepted by the recycler. For example, if boxes are stored outside and get wet, let them dry before loading them into the baler.

The bale from a recycling baler: size, tying and handling

A recycling baler like the TONNA E60 makes a bale of 70 × 50 × 70 cm, 30–50 kg of cardboard or 40–60 kg of film. The shop sells textile strap for tying bales, 16 mm wide and 340 m per roll.

Bales can be stacked and stored for collection by a recycler. Standing as it comes out of the press, a TONNA E60 bale of 70 × 50 × 70 cm fits twice on a EUR pallet of 120 × 80 cm. This makes it easy to move bales with a pallet truck in the warehouse. When stacking bales, place the heaviest at the bottom and stack no higher than the stack stands securely. Keep a short record of the bales made, with their material and date, so you know how many are ready when you book a collection.

Always store bales in a dry place, away from heat sources. Pressed cardboard is flammable, so do not keep bales near heaters or electrical panels. Mark each bale or stack with its material, such as cardboard or film. This helps the recycler load them quickly without sorting, and avoids mistakes that can lower the value of the bale.

Cardboard shredders for making shipping padding

Cardboard shredders are used to turn used boxes into padding material for shipping. The cardboard shredder subcategory includes four models: GREE XS, GREE ES, HSM ProfiPack C400 and ProfiPack P425.

To make shipping padding, flatten used boxes and feed them into the slot of the shredder. The machine processes the cardboard into padding that fills gaps and wraps goods in shipping boxes. The working width is 420 mm on the GREE XS and 422 mm on the GREE ES, and both machines trim board that is wider, so a wider box does not have to be cut to size before feeding.

Always use clean, dry corrugated cardboard and remove any metal or plastic parts before shredding. Place the shredder where incoming boxes are unpacked and outgoing goods are packed, so boxes do not need to be moved twice. Every box that becomes padding is one less in the waste, and you save on buying new padding materials for shipping.

When recycling equipment pays off

Recycling equipment pays off when your business produces cardboard or film every day and the bins fill up quickly. If you pay for frequent bin emptyings, a baler or a bin press cuts the number of collections, because pressed waste, in a bale or in the bin, takes much less room.

Loose boxes and film also take storage space in the warehouse. With waste recycling equipment, clean, sorted bales stand in one place until a recycler collects them.

To see if recycling equipment pays off for your business, count the current costs. Add up the number of bin emptyings per month and their price, the floor space taken by loose boxes, and the time staff spend flattening and carrying cardboard. Compare that total with the price of the machine and the strap, and with the value of the bales if a recycler pays for them.

Clean, sorted bales have a value because recyclers often collect them free of charge or pay for them, depending on the market price of cardboard or film. This is different from mixed waste, where you pay for every collection. For example, a business that produces bales of clean cardboard can arrange for regular pickup and may receive payment for each metric ton collected.

Loose cardboard around the building is not only a space problem: it is a fire load and a trip hazard. Baled and stored in one place, away from heat sources, the same cardboard is under control and the floor stays clear.

Space, height and power supply

Before installing recycling equipment, check the space in front of the machine for loading and bale removal. A vertical baler like the TONNA E60 needs room in front and above the doors for safe operation. The machine itself is 83 × 70 × 193 cm and needs a closed, dry room.

The right supply must be available where the machine will stand: 230 V for the TONNA E60, 400 V for models such as the HSM V-Press 605 eco. If there is no three-phase socket, an electrician installs one before the machine arrives.

When planning the installation, check the ceiling above the machine for beams, pipes and sprinklers, not just the total height. Make sure nothing blocks the doors of the baler when they open. For example, in a warehouse with low-hanging pipes, you may need to choose a spot where the doors can open fully.

The floor under the machine must be level and strong enough to support both the machine and the bales that stand next to it. If the floor is uneven, the baler may not work correctly or could be unsafe. In a packing area, check that the floor does not slope and that there are no drains or steps where the machine will stand.

Plan two routes before the machine arrives. First, the way in for the baler: measure all doors, elevators and corridors the machine must pass through. Second, the way out for the bales: make sure you can move bales with a pallet truck or forklift from the machine to the storage area and then to the collection point. For example, if the baler is installed upstairs, check whether the elevator can take both the machine and the bales.

The right place for the baler is close to where boxes are unpacked and also close to the collection point outside. This reduces the distance staff carry waste and move finished bales.

What a recycler expects from a bale

A recycler takes bales of one material, clean and dry, and a bale that is tied well stays together during handling and transport.

Heavier bales mean fewer transports to the recycler: the same weight of cardboard leaves as fewer bales and fewer loads. Check which bale weight your recycler accepts before you choose the machine.

Before you order a baler, ask the recycler about their requirements. Find out which materials they accept, the bale size and weight they want, whether they collect bales loose or on pallets, and the smallest quantity they will pick up. Ask also whether they take film and paper as well as cardboard, so one recycler collects all your bales.

Clean, clear stretch film is usually worth more than printed film, so keep the two apart if your recycler asks for it. A bale that bursts during loading costs the recycler time, so check the straps before the bales are collected.

Agree with the recycler how collections are booked: some come on a fixed day, others when you call once a set number of bales is ready. This tells you how much room you need to keep for bales.

Ask how the bales are weighed and paid: by the weight on the recycler’s scale or by the number of bales, and how the price follows the market for cardboard and film. Check each statement against your own record of the bales handed over.

Safe work at the baler

Only people who have been trained on the machine and have read the manual operate the baler. The press runs only with the loading door closed. Stand to the side when you open the doors, because a pressed bale expands when it is released.

Only one person should operate the baler at a time, and others must stay away from the doors during use. Before clearing a jam, switch the baler off and unplug it or lock the main switch, so nobody can start it while you reach into the chamber. Never climb into the chamber. Keep the area in front of the baler free, so nobody trips while loading or taking a bale out.

When cutting the straps of a pressed bale, always stand to the side. The bale expands quickly when the straps are cut. Heavy bales go on a pallet and are moved with a pallet truck or a forklift, not carried.

Checklist before ordering recycling equipment

Before you order, check the kind and amount of packaging waste you have each week. Confirm the bale weight your recycler takes, the space and ceiling height in your facility, and the power supply available. Decide who will load the machine and where it will be installed.

The overview table above shows which machine type fits your needs.

For example, a packing line may fill three 240-liter bins with cardboard and one with film per week. If the waste comes in waves, for example after large deliveries, size the baler for the busiest week and not for the average. If the amount of cardboard is growing, choose the next size up rather than a baler that is full from the first week.

Plan how you will move the bales and where they will be stored before collection. Decide on a dry storage area near the collection point and mark it for each material. Plan where the plastic strapping bands, foam and wood that come off the goods will go, because they must not go into the baler. For a bin press, check that your bins are the standard size the press is made for.

Order strap with the baler; the textile strap for waste bales comes in packs of four rolls. Keep a stock at the machine, so the strap never runs out while a bale is in the press. Name the people who will load the machine and arrange for them to be trained before the baler starts work.

Decide whether one baler is enough for all materials or whether cardboard and film need a machine each: one baler can press both, but only one material goes into a bale, so a mixed stream means more changes between materials.

Questions about recycling equipment

How heavy are the bales made by these machines?

Bale weight depends on the machine and material. For example, the TONNA E60 makes bales of 30–50 kg for cardboard and 40–60 kg for film. Large balers like the TONNA45 can make bales up to 450 kg.

Can a baler machine press plastic film as well as cardboard?

Yes. The TONNA E60, for example, bales both and has a separate operating mode for cardboard and for film; the TONNA T-Portable and the HSM V-Press 60 are small balers made for film and paper.

How long does one pressing cycle take on a vertical baler?

On the TONNA E60, one pressing cycle takes 27 seconds. The cycle times of the other models are on their product pages.

Which power supply do the balers need?

The TONNA E60 runs on 230 V. Other balers may require different power supplies, such as 400 V for the HSM V-Press 605 eco. The supply of each model is on its product page.