Horizontal Balers

Recycling Horizontal Balers

Semi-automatic horizontal balers are used by businesses that generate very high volumes of recyclable waste and need a machine that can process material quickly and consistently. They’re commonly found in warehouses, distribution centres, manufacturing sites and larger retail operations where cardboard or plastic is produced throughout the day.

At Landfill Alternatives, we supply horizontal balers on both a sale and lease basis. For sites handling bulk waste, a horizontal baler allows material to be compacted as it’s produced, rather than building up loose waste that needs dealing with separately.

Waste Horizontal Balers

Horizontal balers are designed for high-throughput applications where recyclable material needs to be processed on an ongoing basis. Waste can be fed into the baler manually, using bin tippers or forklifts, or via a conveyor system, depending on the setup and volumes involved.

Material is compacted using a horizontal ram, forming dense, consistent bales that are tied off using baler wire. Once a bale is completed, it’s pushed out of the machine and the next bale begins.

Horizontal balers produce mill-size bales, which are preferred by recyclers and achieve the highest possible rebates. For businesses handling large volumes of cardboard or plastic, this is one of the main reasons a horizontal baler is chosen.

Horizontal balers are mainly used for cardboard, paper and plastic packaging generated in large quantities, particularly where waste builds up steadily during production or goods handling.

All horizontal balers we supply meet relevant UK and CE safety requirements.

Horizontal vs Vertical Balers

The main difference between horizontal and vertical balers comes down to waste volumes and how material is loaded.

Horizontal balers are typically used where volumes are very high and continuous or frequent feeding is required.

Where waste volumes are lower or material is loaded in batches, a vertical baler is often sufficient.

If you’re unsure which type of baler suits your site, we can look at how waste is produced and handled and advise from there.

Bale Handling and Transport

Because horizontal balers produce mill-size bales, handling and transport is usually straightforward. Finished bales are typically moved using a forklift and can be stacked neatly in a storage area up to 3 pallets high or loaded directly onto standing trailers for collection. Compared to smaller bales, mill-size bales make better use of space during storage and transport, which is one of the reasons they’re preferred by recyclers and waste contractors.

On sites generating large volumes of material, having consistent bale sizes also makes collections more predictable and easier to manage.

Integration with Site Layout

On most sites, a horizontal baler is installed where waste already collects. That might be near production, goods-in or a waste holding area, depending on how the site operates.

Some sites load material using conveyors, others rely on bins, cages or forklifts. The setup usually reflects how waste is handled day to day, rather than following a fixed layout.

Cardboard and Plastic Performance

Horizontal balers are well suited to handling large volumes of cardboard, where producing dense, mill-size bales is important for storage and rebates. They’re also commonly used for plastics, including rigid packaging and film, particularly on sites where plastic waste is generated consistently.

Different materials behave differently during compaction, but horizontal balers are designed to cope with this variation and still produce uniform bales suitable for recycling streams.

We supply horizontal balers to businesses across the UK.