Plastic bottles are in almost every business, whether you’re handing out bottled water to customers or stocking the staff fridge with milk. But with sustainability high on the global agenda and disposal costs rising, it’s no longer enough to toss bottles into a bin and hope for the best.
Recycling plastic bottles efficiently isn’t just good for the planet though; it’s good for business. By baling your plastic waste, you can save on costs, simplify waste management, and even generate revenue from recyclable materials. Here’s how your business can get more from its plastic bottle waste.
Why Baling Plastic Bottles Makes Business Sense
Baling is one of the most cost-effective means of sorting and recycling plastic waste. Instead of dealing with bulky, loose bottles that take up space and require frequent, expensive collections, a plastic bottle baler compresses them into neat, dense bales which are easier to store, cheaper to transport, and more attractive to recycling companies from a buying standpoint. Seems like a no-brainer, right?
Whether you’re running a retail store, manufacturing facility, or distribution centre, baling offers measurable benefits:
- Potential for rebates on baled plastic
- Reduced storage space requirements
- Fewer waste collections needed
- Improved green credentials
- Lower transport costs
What Type of Plastic Can Be Baled?
The vast majority of plastic bottles used in businesses are made from PET (polyethylene terephthalate) or HDPE (high-density polyethylene), which are easily recyclable. A plastic bottle baling machine can handle:
- PET bottles
- HDPE milk bottles
- Mixed PET/HDPE with light contamination (of other plastics, generally shown as 4-4-2, or 40% PET, 40% HDPE, 20% other)
- Colour and natural plastics
- Shrink wrap and polythene film
At Compact & Bale, we accept and purchase a range of baled plastic bottles (even lightly contaminated loads), making it easy for your team to recycle without the headache of complex sorting.
How the Baling and Recycling Process Works
Once plastic bottles are baled, we can collect them in bulk. We send the bales to recycling facilities where they are then ground into flakes, dry cleaned, sorted, and depending on the plastic type, decontaminated with chemicals or melted down and sieved into beads. Once cooled, the beads or flakes are melted again and moulded into new forms and products, from new bottles and packaging to furniture and clothing, or even piping for construction.
Balers to Optimise Plastic Bottle Recycling
You may want to make plastic recycling even more efficient, and why not? Combining plastic bottle baling machines with technology like the LiquiDrainer will bolster your operations, removing all residual liquid from full or partially full bottles to prepare them for baling without any mess or manual effort for your team.
For companies with high volumes of waste, investing in a fully automatic baler such as the Strautmann BaleTainer allows a continuous feed and automated operation. Compact & Bale even offer a collection and payment service for your baled plastic, saving you time and generating you additional income for your waste.
Why Businesses are Turning to Plastic Balers
Participating in environmental responsibility is no longer optional for modern companies, and customers want more and more to buy from businesses that take sustainability seriously. Investing in a plastic baler shows that you’re reducing your carbon footprint, cutting costs, and enhancing your brand’s eco-credentials.
From multi-site retailers to single-location operations, processing plastic waste efficiently is a win/win:
- Generate revenue from recyclable waste
- Save money on waste collections
- Demonstrate environmental leadership
- Support circular economy initiatives
Are you ready to reclaim value from your plastic bottle waste? Compact & Bale supplies industry-leading balers and supports businesses with end-to-end recycling solutions. Whether you handle hundreds or thousands of bottles a week, we can help you transform that waste into a valuable asset. Contact our team today to explore the right solution for your needs, and discover how much your plastic bottle waste could be worth.