What is the best way to store plastic for recycling?

Commercial plastic waste represents a large component of the 42 million annual tons of plastic waste produced in the USA. Whether you’re a new business determining your standard procedures or an established business revising operations, proper processing, storage, and disposal of plastic waste keeps your workplace clean and safe, protects the environment, and can even reduce your overhead.

The best way to store plastic is to bale it. Not only does compacted plastic take up less space, but it is also ready to be sold and shipped to recycling centers for further processing. Regardless of your plastic waste production level, you will need a baler. The general process includes:

1. Sorting
2. Compacting
3. Baling
4. Storage

We’ll walk you through the steps, discuss why recycling plastic is in your best interest, and recommend some baling wire products to keep your plastic bales secure.

Step 1: Sorting

Before baling, you should sort your plastic waste by type. Many recycling programs require pre-sorting. Even if your recycler doesn’t require pre-sorting, they probably pay more for sorted plastic bales.

For low-volume waste producers, sorting might be a simple matter of disposing of plastic waste in different collection bins. For high-volume waste producers, you might require a conveyor sort system.

Either way, plastics need to be sorted by type, or plastic number. Here’s a breakdown of the plastic types and their recyclability:

1. PET or PETE (polyethylene terephthalate): This type of plastic is commonly found in beverage bottles, perishable food storage containers, and other plastic containers.PET bottles are some of the most easily recycled plastics.
2. HDPE (high-density polyethylene): HDPE is used in milk cartons, shampoo bottles, and laundry detergent containers. It is also widely recyclable.
3. PVC (polyvinyl chloride): It is used in pipes, kids' toys, plastic trays, and furniture. PVC plastic items are not typically recyclable due to their composition.
4. LDPE (low-density polyethylene): It is used in plastic grocery bags, plastic film, plastic wrap, bread bags, and bags that hold magazines and fresh produce. LDPE products can sometimes be recycled, but many municipalities do not accept this type of plastic due to difficulties in recycling.
5. PP (polypropylene): It is used in food containers for products such as yogurt, sour cream, and margarine. It's also made into straws, rope, carpet, and bottle caps. PP products can sometimes be recycled, but the recycling rate is low due to challenges in achieving consistent recycling quality.
6. PS (polystyrene): It is used to make disposable coffee cups, packing peanuts, coolers, to-go plastic food containers, and plastic cutlery. PS products can sometimes be recycled at specialist facilities, but the process is difficult and not widely practiced.
7. Other: Any type of plastic that doesn't fit into the first six categories. Products stamped with a 7 are made out of multiple plastic types or out of other types of plastic. These products can sometimes be recycled, but it's not common due to the complexity of the materials. One recyclable example is ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene).

Check with your local recycler to determine which types of plastic they accept. Sort recyclable plastics by number, and dispose of unrecyclable plastics with general waste.

Step 2: Compacting

Once you’ve collected enough sorted plastic for a bale, it’s time to compact your waste. Depending on your daily plastic waste production, you will choose between a:

• Vertical baler: They take up less floor space, are generally cheaper, have smaller chambers, and produce smaller bales. They are usually manually operated, meaning bales must be manually tied with bale ties.
• Horizontal baler: Their horizontal compaction chambers take up more floor space, but they have larger chambers that produce bigger, denser bales. They are usually configured to automatically tie bales using box wire or carrier wire. Horizontal balers can also be purchased in two-ram variants for producing denser bales in high-throughput environments.

Whichever baler you use, the compacting process is straightforward.

1. Fill the chamber with plastic waste.
2. Close the chamber and run the compactor.
3. Open the chamber and add more plastic waste.
4. Repeat compaction and add more waste until the desired bale size and density have been achieved.

Step 3: Baling

Once compaction is finished, it’s time to tie the bale. If you have an auto-tie baler, the machine cuts and ties the bale for you using automatic baling wire.

If you have a manual tie baler, operators will use single loop or double loop bale ties to secure the bale. They open the chamber, feed the wires around the bale, and either tie or hook the wires shut.

Step 4: Storage

Once the bales are tied, remove them from the compactor and take them to your designated storage area. Plastic bales can be stacked several high. You can also store plastic bales outdoors if interior space is limited; just make sure you use galvanized baling wire for bales that will sit outside for extended periods. Galvanization protects the wire from rust, preventing broken bales.

What size should my plastic bales be?

Your bale size will depend on your baler. If you produce enough plastic waste to justify it, purchase a baler that produces mill-size bales. Recycling centers prefer mill-size bales because their equipment is designed around this standard, and they will often pay more since you save them labor.

Mill-size bales aren't completely fixed but generally have these measurements:

• Length: 71 inches (1.8 meters)
• Width: 47 inches (1.2 meters)
• Height: 39 inches (1.0 meters)

Contact your recycler to learn what their preferred bale dimensions are.

How heavy are plastic bales?

Plastic bale weights fluctuate depending on the bale size, type of plastic, and bale density. Mill-size bales of plastic wrap weigh about 1,100 lb.

How much are plastic bales worth?

Plastic bale prices experience market fluctuations, but per pound prices are generally rising. According to Resource Recycling Inc., prices for most plastic types rose 10% between 2022 and 2023.

• PET beverage bottles and jars are 11.02 cents per pound.
• HDPE is 29.50 cents per pound. 
• Color HDPE is 18.81 cents per pound. 
• PP is 4.94 cents per pound.
• Grade A film is 13.88 cents per pound. 
• Grade B film is 6.88 cents.
• Grade C film is 0.13 cents per pound.

That means a 1,100 lb bale of grade A film could net you about $15,000.

What happens to plastic bales after they’re sold?

After the recycler picks up your plastic bales, here’s what happens:

1. Arrival at processing destination: Once at the processing facility, plastic bales are prepared for the recycling process. This may involve re-baling smaller bales into mill-size bales.
2. Shredding and cleaning: The plastic bales are broken open and plastic waste is shredded into small pieces. These shreds are cleaned and filtered to remove impurities.
3. Granulation: The cleaned, shredded plastic is melted and formed into pellets.
4. Manufacturing new products: Plastic pellets are used to manufacture new products. Depending on the type of plastic, these recycled products range from new plastic bottles and plastic containers to outdoor furniture, textiles, and building materials.
5. Distribution and sale: Recycled products are distributed and sold to consumers, completing the recycling loop.

Not all plastic waste can be recycled due to contamination or the type of plastic.

Why is it important to recycle plastic?

Plastic degrades slowly in the environment. As it does, it releases harmful chemicals that enter the soil, air, and water. These chemicals eventually end up in our food supply, some of which are linked to negative health outcomes and reproductive issues.

Plastic recycling efforts achieve the following goals:

• Reuse valuable materials: Many plastics are 100 percent recyclable (multiple times), and they are cheaper than virgin plastics.
• Reduce environmental pollution: Plastic contains toxic chemicals that negatively affect ecosystems at all levels.
• Reduce landfill waste: As the global population grows, landfills must be alleviated from unnecessary waste.
• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions: Recycling plastic produces fewer emissions than producing virgin plastics.
• Conserve resources: A circular economy allows efficient resource allocation, requiring less fossil fuel and other resources such as petroleum.
• Educate consumers and businesses: Recycling efforts highlight consumption rates and opportunities to use fewer more sustainable products.

Plastic recycling efforts contribute to economic sustainability and create circular economies that minimize waste and pollution.

What is the best baling wire for recycling plastic?

We carry several wire options for baling plastic. The best type of wire for baling plastic will depend on storage conditions and duration. Here are some of your options:

• Single loop bale ties can be tied to different lengths to accommodate inconsistent bale sizes. They work with manual horizontal and vertical balers. We offer both black annealed and galvanized single loop bale ties. Galvanized bale ties offer enhanced abrasion resistance.
• Double loop bale ties are pre-cut to length for use in auto-tie balers. The double loop configuration accelerates the tying process, increasing productivity.
• Black annealed wire feeds smoothly through high-volume automatic baling machines that are commonly used in plastic recycling.
• Galvanized wire is less commonly used for baling plastic. But if your bales require long-term storage, the galvanizing process offers increased resistance to rust and corrosion to keep bales safe and secure.

At Baling Wire Direct, our wire is made from high-quality US steel to provide businesses with the recycling solutions they need to effectively bale and store plastic waste.