Industry View: Waste, Storage Space and the Hidden Extras

All businesses are chasing efficiency and convenience. David Coleman, Operations Director at HSM UK, discusses why environmental technology is an effective answer for organisations handling significant volumes of waste material.

Warehouses, distribution centres and other large packaging waste producers often face the seemingly impossible task of maximising storage space. Despair around effectively dealing with this issue can sometimes point facility managers in the direction of renting out storage spaces or even moving into bigger premises. That’s easier said than done, though, when you consider the time and money needed to action a successful move with minimal problems along the way. If a business reaches up to 85% capacity at up to the same percentage of space utilisation, you may be decrementing movement and storage efficiency.

Therefore, it’s important to avoid exacerbation of the issue. How can businesses be expected to maximise economic efficiency, however, if the solutions available are too difficult to choose, yet at the same time seem few and far between? The simple answer is: environmental technology.

Not a waste but a resource
On the baseline, environmental technologies such as baling presses generate bales that open up a selection of different logistical and financial benefits. Some balers available to the UK market are capable of compressing waste materials by up to around 95%. By definition, this allows businesses to achieve a much denser volume of waste which would otherwise be sitting in a skip uncompressed, for example. By compressing waste materials, there will be less need for transportation and so less costs to be paid out.  This also frees up storage space and saves businesses valuable time along the way. This is because the need to go through the lengthy process of hiring skips or sending waste to landfill is eliminated. Baling machines are provided for in-house systems, and are hassle-free and meticulously designed. For businesses that generate a larger amount of waste materials, you could also be earning money back on your packaging waste, as some recycling collection companies will pay per tonne of baled waste.

Additional benefits
Whilst saving on storage space is one of the benefits of implementing balers into waste management strategies, there are many others too.
When Sports Direct identified plans to accommodate the growth and expansion of its location, executing a waste management solution to effectively deal with waste volume increases may have seemed a difficult task.
However, installation of a HSM-recommended solution in accordance with Sports Direct’s specific waste processing requirements allowed a more controlled, efficient and effective waste management strategy.
On top of this, the balers in this case included vertical and channel balers, both convenient and easy to use with minimal handling required.
Crucially, understanding diverse and specific waste requirements of business is an absolute must in specifying which solutions – in this case, technologies – to opt for. The process can undeniably be a complex one, though achievable nonetheless.

A solution that’s for you
It’s important to opt for machines which suit your specific waste management needs and requirements. The good news is you won’t be stuck for choice, as whether you’re a large or small business, there are machines available which have been designed specifically for you. For businesses which generate high amounts of waste such as carboard, some machines (such as the HSM channel balers) are suitable for high inputs of waste, ideal for dealing with packaging waste in distribution centres and large recycling plants.
Supermarket-produced waste materials such as plastic and carboard packaging on food products can be recycled, meaning balers are an effective stepping stone in reaching this aim.
What’s more, many supermarkets have vowed to cut down on single-use plastics, yet without sufficient attention given to the waste they’re already producing.
With supermarkets paying the least towards collecting and recycling plastic waste than any other EU country, it’s now more important than ever to begin turning the tides with our waste management efforts.
The wide range of machines available also means if you lack specialist knowledge, you don’t need to worry. Some machines are fully-automated, meaning bales are tied up on their own without manual handling.

No time for waste
When it comes to managing waste, the ‘how’ is just as important as the ‘why’. Investing in environmental technologies such as baling presses – while established as a credible waste management solution – can often be overlooked when considering the other benefits they invite. For organisations generating waste, baling presses can help to reach specific waste management aims whilst providing many intangible benefits along the way.

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