Cardboard balers for business: do you need one?
A cardboard baler crushes loose cardboard into tight, strapped bales. It can cut cardboard volume by up to 90%, which frees up floor space and means fewer collections. For a shop, warehouse or hotel buried in delivery boxes, that can make a real difference to both cost and tidiness.
But a baler isn’t right for everyone. Below we explain how they work, the main types, and how to tell whether your business produces enough cardboard to make one worthwhile.
How a cardboard baler works
Staff load flattened or whole boxes into the baler chamber. A hydraulic press plate squeezes the cardboard down. Once the chamber is full, the bale is tied with straps or wire and ejected, ready to stack until collection.
Because the cardboard stays clean and separate, it goes straight to recycling as a valuable material rather than mixed in with other waste.
Vertical vs horizontal balers
Type |
Typical bale weight |
Footprint |
Suits |
| Small vertical | 40–150kg | About 1–1.5m², plus room for the door and bale ejection | Small shops, cafés, offices, forecourts |
| Mid-size vertical | 150–400kg | About 2–3m² | Supermarkets, hotels, busy retail, light manufacturing |
| Mill-size vertical | 400–600kg | About 3–5m² | Large retail, distribution, manufacturing |
| Horizontal | 500kg and up | Large; often fed by conveyor | Distribution centres and very high volumes |
Most Irish businesses that bale use a vertical machine. Horizontal balers are for sites handling tonnes of cardboard a day.
Is a baler worth it for your business?
A baler usually pays its way when two or three of these are true:
- You fill more than one 1100L cardboard bin a week, and the bins still overflow.
- Loose cardboard is taking up storeroom, corridor or yard space you need for something else.
- Your cardboard is clean and dry. Wet or food-soiled cardboard doesn’t bale well or recycle well.
- You have a spot with a solid floor, a power supply and room to stack a few bales.
- Staff can be trained and given time to load the baler as part of their routine.
If you produce less than that, 1100L cardboard bins collected weekly or fortnightly are usually simpler and cheaper. See our commercial bin sizes guide.
What to plan for
Space. Allow for the machine itself, the loading door swinging open, and the bale coming out. Check the floor can take the weight of the machine plus a full bale.
Power. Small vertical balers often run on a standard single-phase supply. Mill-size machines usually need three-phase 400V power, which may mean an electrician’s visit.
Safety and training. Balers are powerful machines. Only trained staff should use them, and they need regular servicing and safety checks. The Health and Safety Authority publishes guidance on safe use of work equipment.
Buy or hire. You can buy a baler outright or hire one on a monthly basis. Hiring usually includes servicing and is easier to scale up or down.
How Greyhound can help
We collect baled cardboard from businesses across Dublin and send it straight for recycling. If you’re thinking about getting a baler, our team can review your cardboard volumes and tell you honestly whether a baler or a few extra 1100L cardboard bins will work out cheaper.
FAQ
How much cardboard do I need for a baler to be worth it?
As a rough guide, if you’re regularly filling more than one 1100L cardboard bin a week and running out of space, a small vertical baler is worth looking at. For lower volumes, bins are usually cheaper.
How much space does a cardboard baler need?
A small vertical baler takes up about 1 to 1.5 square metres, plus room in front for the door and for removing bales. Larger balers need 3 to 5 square metres.
How heavy is a cardboard bale?
It depends on the machine. Small balers make bales of 40 to 150kg; mill-size balers make bales of 400kg or more.
Can I bale plastic film too?
Many balers can also bale clean plastic film and shrink wrap, but keep it separate from cardboard. Check with us before mixing materials.
Does baled cardboard get recycled?
Yes. Clean, baled cardboard is one of the easiest materials to recycle and goes back into making new paper and board.
Talk to us about your cardboard
Call our commercial team on 01 568 6540 or email commercial@greyhoundrecycling.com and we’ll help you work out the best setup for your site.
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