OUR CLIENT
A solution was sought for Arete for their polythene waste, which would reduce their waste disposal costs, reduce their handling and create a new revenue stream. Arete had previously placed all polythene waste in 1100 litre waste bins, costing approximately £13 per bin, with about 14 bins per week being attributed to their polythene waste stream only! This was a weekly cost of £182 or just under £10,000 per annum – just to dispose of waste polythene! At approximate volumes at 5 tons per annum, this resulted in waste costs of about £2000 per ton – a significant sum for sure!
​
Find out below how Highlander helped find a solution to combat these costs, or check out our other services including paper recycling and product destruction.
OUR
PROPOSAL
To combat these extreme costs, Highlander recently installed a Dicom PGV650P mill sized baler at the site which allows for polythene materials to be processed into large, processor ready bales. The machine produces bales of approximately 400kg each & are manually tied with 3.2mm black steel baling wire – this allows the bales to be collected by Highlander along with other materials from the site, such as redundant pallets and other materials for recycling. Not only will this save Arete a lot of
time and money, they will also receive a rebate from Highlander for good quality bales. These balers can improve rebates to waste generators by up to £150 per ton for polythene waste, as the baling costs are a direct saving for the recycling company who can pass the added value onto the waste generators.
​
The installation was slightly more challenging than some of our other installations! Firstly, there was the challenge of lifting the baler up a steep ramp, which was difficult on a forklift as the weight of the baler continuously pushed the forklift back down the ramp. There was also a metal railing which reduced the amount of space we had to turn the baler. Then, we met the challenge of being able to fit the baler and the hydraulic lift within a narrow space, next to the cardboard compactor and wheeled bin store which we again managed to do for Arete (WM Grant), no problems.
AND SOLUTION
the baler installation was the final part of a complete recycling management system provided to Arete by Highlander international, over a long-term contract period. This includes wood recycling, scrap metal recycling, a brand-new glass skip and recycling service, cardboard recycling including an “alert box” retro fit which means the cardboard compactor now sends a text message to our transport department when the 75% full light comes on and finally, the installation, commissioning and training of the new polythene baler, reducing plastic to landfill of about 5 tons per annum!
​
We carried out full staff training in two parts and pictured below is the first bale that was produced
using the new baler system. As well as incorporating the old illuminating light info systems, we now have an “auto-alert” system in place for all mill sized balers, which transmits an e-mail and text message to nominated operators (up to 7 is possible) when a bale is made, who can then take appropriate action. Whether the action is to simply remove the bale into its final storage area, or a fault has developed with the machine meaning a repair or maintenance is required, this alert system allows aninteractive experience with the baling machine, meaning improved operation efficiency all-round!
CONTACT US NOW FOR A QUOTE
Highlander balers start from as little as £50 per week and the rental costs includes delivery, installation, servicing and all wear and tear maintenance and customers can come along to the Highlander baler showroom, to see the models of baler we have available or alternatively, we can arrange site visits at other Highlander customers who have our machines in operation. Get in touch with our temam to find out more.