T
The Daily Insight

How much does a cardboard baler cost?

Author

Andrew Ramirez

Published Apr 19, 2026

How much does a cardboard baler cost? Depending upon whether you are interested in buying a new or used cardboard baler, balers can differ greatly in price. Used horizontal or vertical balers can start around $1,000. New balers prices start at $6,500 in our online store.

Has anyone died from a cardboard baler?

Six deaths occurred during the processing of cardboard; five workers were processing paper; five were processing trash; and five were processing cans, scrap metal, cotton, or plastic wrap. For eight deaths, the material being processed was not specified.

How does a cardboard baler work?

How do balers work? Balers come in all shapes and sizes, but the way they operate is basically the same. Cardboard is loaded evenly into an empty chamber until it is full, the main door is closed, and a hydraulic ram compacts the cardboard into a uniform size of bale.

What type of cardboard should be placed in the baler?

Baling Cardboard Each type of cardboard mentioned can be baled, but it may be best to separate thicker pieces of corrugated fiberboard from paperboard. Since you likely have more paperboard or single wall board, bale these together to save time and space.

How much power does a cardboard baler use?

Specifications: Bale weight: Up to 130 lbs. Press force: 8,800 lbs. Motor: 1.0 HP.

How dangerous is a baler?

BALE SAFETY It is not always enough to blanket a baler with safety procedures and devices. Bales produced by the baler also are dangerous. Between 1985 and 2001, 14 workers died when bales fell on them, according to the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries Inc., Washington, D.C. Again, the main culprit was paper.

Are cardboard balers dangerous?

OSHA’s website has warnings about the dangers of cardboard-baler machines, including the risk of crushing and compacting deaths or injuries. According to the agency, there have been six baler-related deaths or injuries at a recycling or waste management facility nationwide since 2000.

How much does a baler cost?

A mainstream high-production baler can cost between $100,000 and $750,000 or more depending on options. Ferrous balers can cost between $180,000 to $1 million.

Can you put paper in a cardboard baler?

Balers work especially well for recyclable materials such as cardboard and paper.

How much does a bale of cardboard weight?

Calculating size and weight

Type of MaterialLooseBaled
Cardboard50 – 100 lbs/cy600 – 1100 lbs / cy
PET (Soda bottles, food packaging etc)30 – 40 lbs / cy200–500 lbs / cy
HDPE (Milk Jugs, Detergent Containers etc)22 – 25 lbs / cy200 – 500 lbs / cy
Aluminum Cans50 – 75 lbs / cy150–500 lbs / cy

How much does cardboard sell for?

When your cardboard isn’t salvageable, you can still sell it for cash to a recycler. You won’t earn as much, but it’s still money in your pocket. Scrap cardboard prices can vary widely, but you can expect to earn between 50 cents ($1,000 per ton) and $1 per pound ($2,000 per ton).

How strong is a baler?

This powerful cardboard baling machine generates 60 tons of pressing power and produces compact bales with a weight of around 1,200 lbs per bale. The baler is suitable for compressing cardboard waste as well as plastic film or foil.

Can a baler kill you?

Injury statistics are nearly nonexistent. Balers do not injure. They kill. (ISRI), balers crushed 41 workers to death between 1986 and 2001.

How many bales do you get per acre?

In general, you can get as much as 5 large rounded hays that have weigh 1000 lbs. each, per acre on average. Some farmers also give a rough estimate of 100 s??

What can go in a baler?

Balers are used in many industries such as manufacturing, schools, retail outlets, recycling facilities, and other businesses. Materials such as cardboard, textiles, foam, plastics, cans and bottles are compressed in balers and then baled for transport to a garbage or recycling facility.

What is a cardboard baler used for?

What is a baler? Balers are used for baling recyclable materials like cardboard, paper, plastic, and metal for bulk pickup. These machines compress the recyclables into compact bales, which can be easily stacked and transported for recycling.

How long do cardboard balers last?

How long? Harmony balers have been known to be in use well over 20 years, and many over 30 years.

How much is a ton of cardboard worth?

Cardboard—the most recycled commodity—has typically sold for $100 per ton. Waste Management generally keeps 25 percent from the sale of cardboard and gives its customer 75 percent. It costs the company about $20 to process that cardboard, giving it a roughly $5 profit per ton.

How much does a cardboard baler weigh?

Technical specifications

Bale weight cardboard (lbs)1550-1850
Bale size WxDxH (inch)72 x 42 x 47-52
Press force (lbs)110,000
Power supply208/230/480V 3-phase 60Hz
Motor (HP)8.9

How are cardboard balers used in the retail industry?

Customers in many industries use our waste balers and compactors. In the retail industry, both horizontal and vertical cardboard balers are well-known machines for compaction of cardboard and plastic foil from weekly deliveries of goods. However, few customers in some industries still ask us; What is a cardboard baler?

Can you use a baler to compact plastic?

Whether you buy a baler to compact cardboard boxes or a compactor for huge amounts of plastic or other waste types, you can rely on Bramidan compaction machines. Our waste baler machines have a durable construction and they are designed with the highest levels of safety. How to use a cardboard baler?

What kind of door do you need for a cardboard Baler?

You can choose between a standard door, a vertical door (model VD), a flap door (FD), semi-automatic door (SD) or a fully automatic door (AD). When your baler has been installed, it is easy for your staff to fill waste into the chamber of the baler and start compaction.

How can I tell when waste baler is ready?

When your baler has been installed, it is easy for your staff to fill waste into the chamber of the baler and start compaction. A full-light indicator tells when a bale is ready to be tied off.