Major Upgrade to Chicago-area Plant
We’re hearing freight drivers are extremely happy with the improvements to our Chicago-area plant. Why?
Easier and quicker scaling and unloading due to a major upgrade to our Alsip, IL facility.
The two key factors:
- A new drive-on, drive-off scale
- A vastly larger staging and unloading area
Where previously drivers had to back off after weighing in, now there’s a clear, direct path to a drive-on, drive-off scale.
Once off the scale, drivers are in a large, paved staging area able to handle several tractor-trailers preparing to unload.
From there it’s a direct path to the 27 dock doors available for loading and unloading.
Quincy Recycle purchased the land adjacent to our loading area and created a wide, open, and paved area for the scale and staging.
This investment in our paper and plastic recycling facility in Chicago is part of a continuous improvement program. We look for ways to improve efficiencies and reduce friction. This means increased profits for our suppliers, customers, freight partners, and ourselves. A true win-win for all involved.
How a Baler Can Transform Your Organization’s Waste Management
Bulk material waste can be hard to manage, especially when employees spend valuable time on organization, clean up, and removal.
Companies that manually handle materials like paper, cardboard, plastic, or metal scraps are likely familiar with the struggles of incorporating waste management into regular business operations.
By investing in an industrial recycling baler, your business could free up THOUSANDS of hours each year spent on manually handling waste streams.
Let’s look into specific situations where companies like yours can use a baler to transform your organization’s waste management.
How a Recycling Baler can Improve Waste Management
Situation 1: Excessive Waste Handling Costs
A mid-sized packaging manufacturer struggles with escalating waste handling costs. The company frequently contracts waste haulers to dispose of loose cardboard and plastic film.
Solution: After integrating a closed-door baler into their operations, the manufacturer compacts waste material into dense, easy-to-transport bales.
Outcome: Compacted bales reduce the volume of waste and frequency of waste pickups, and the manufacturer saves on waste management expenses and disposal fees.
Situation 2: Lost Revenue Opportunities
A regional distribution center manages large volumes of return goods packaging. Unknown to them, this “waste” contains untapped revenue potential.
Solution: By leasing two vertical balers one for cardboard and one for plastic, the DC can separate, bale, and move material quickly and effectively.
Outcome: Baled materials are purchased at fair market value by a recycling company and turned into an additional revenue stream for the distribution center.
Situation 3: Environmental Regulations Non-compliance
A bottled beverage manufacturer faces penalties due to failure to comply with environmental regulations related to waste management.
Solution: By implementing a waste management plan with a high-capacity horizontal baler, the company can divert plastic waste from landfills and ensure they meet regulatory standards.
Outcome: Proactive green initiatives mitigate the risk of penalties and promote the company’s reputation as an environmentally responsible business.
Situation 4: Inefficient Use of Space and Safety Hazards
A large company faces challenges with its retailer stores having limited space for waste management. Safety concerns arise due to the accumulation of cardboard and packaging materials on the warehouse floors.
Solution: Installing a vertical cardboard baler at each retail site allows the retailers with limited space to manage waste on-site promptly, freeing up valuable space and reducing the risk of accidents.
Outcome: The company contributes to overall cleaner and safer work environments.
Situation 5: Workers Spend Hours Dealing with Loose Waste Materials
Workers at a packaging plant spend hours flattening corrugated cardboard boxes and manually tying them together. A substantial amount of valuable labor time is spent managing waste streams.
Solution: Balers automate the process of waste compaction to remove the need for workers to engage in time-consuming, manual flattening and binding of boxes.
Outcome: The baler does the heavy lifting, baling waste fast and freeing up the team to focus on core operations.
Successful waste management for your business doesn’t have to be hypothetical.
At Quincy Recycle, we believe in transforming the challenge of waste management into an opportunity for your business. We evaluate your company’s waste production and management practices by conducting on-site audits. Our hands-on approach allows us to recommend recycling equipment, such as industrial balers, that will work for your waste output and budget.
We have helped companies nationwide turn the concept of successful waste management into a tangible reality.
Are you interested in learning more about vertical or horizontal industrial balers? Contact our Equipment General Manager, Tom, at (260) 494.5676 or [email protected].
Maximizing Your Industrial Baler’s Lifespan
The Importance of High-Quality Servicing by Quincy Recycle
We could start this blog by saying that industrial balers need maintenance to maximize their lifespan like any piece of equipment – but you probably already knew that. Instead, we’d like to focus on the quality of the service you trust to maintain your equipment.
Equipment jams, oil puddles, and gaps between parts don’t usually happen suddenly. Over time, minor issues become big problems. By the time they’ve become noticeable, it could be too late to avoid a costly repair.
Prevent unexpected repairs and downtime by working with a high-quality, reliable partner to service your industrial baler. Our technicians use advanced diagnostic tools and pay attention to the small details so signs of wear and tear and potential problems don’t go unnoticed. High-quality preventative maintenance is important, and here’s why you can expect just that from Quincy Recycle.
Quincy Recycle works with our customers to establish a quick and convenient preventative maintenance schedule.
We understand maintenance and repair downtime can interrupt daily processes. Our team works with clients to schedule monthly, quarterly, bi-annually, or yearly inspections in advance so you can prepare for maintenance checks. Equipment manufacturer, type, model, usage, and input/output volume determine how often you should service your vertical or horizontal baler for peak performance.
In the event that an issue occurs unexpectedly or major repairs are needed, we offer baler and recycling equipment for sale, lease, or rent to keep your daily processes moving smoothly. Rental options are in stock, so we can respond quickly when our clients need temporary or long-term contract equipment solutions.
Scheduled preventative maintenance helps protect baler and employee safety.
You may not initially connect equipment maintenance with workplace safety, but preventive care helps provide a safe working environment for employees regarding baler function. A functioning, well-maintained baler is less likely to pose safety risks, allowing employees to operate or work around it without worrying about sudden malfunctions that could lead to accidents or injuries.
We also believe that an informed team is a safe and efficient one. We encourage you and your employees to ask questions during inspections. Along with being skilled technicians, our team is made up of educators ready to share their knowledge about new features, best practices, and a deeper understanding of equipment mechanics. We want you to see Quincy Recycle as a partner in your waste management and recycling equipment processes, so we provide our clients with the equipment training they need to be safe and succeed.
Identify baler warning signs of potential issues or breakdowns before they become serious problems.
The first step in preventive care is understanding the warning signs. By identifying potential problems before they occur, businesses can reduce downtime and repair costs.
Industrial balers often give off warning signs (some subtle) that suggest they may be experiencing issues or on the verge of a potential malfunction.
Here are common indicators to look out for:
Unusual Noise Levels: Increased noise or sudden sounds that are out of the ordinary, such as banging, scraping, or grinding, can indicate that parts within the baler are worn out or misaligned.
Decreased Output Efficiency: If the baler starts to process materials slower than usual or requires more cycles to complete tasks previously done quickly, a problem with the machine’s efficiency is usually to blame.
Blockages: Baler chambers can become blocked with debris and waste materials. Safely remove any excess buildup in or around the machine. Check your equipment’s user manual for instructions on how to clean your baler safely.
Inconsistent Bale Sizes or Weights: Bale dimensions or weight variations are often a symptom of issues with the machine’s settings or wear and tear in its compression mechanisms.
Increased Energy Usage: An unexplained spike in energy consumption can suggest that the baler is straining to perform its basic functions, possibly due to mechanical issues.
Visible Wear and Tear: Regular inspections might reveal frayed wires, hydraulic leaks, loose bolts, or cracks in the equipment. Visible damage is a clear indicator that parts may need to be repaired or replaced.
Safety and Emergency Stops Engaging More Frequently: If the baler’s safety features or emergency stops activate more often than normal without clear reasons, an underlying problem could need immediate attention.
Error Messages or Alarms: Modern balers are equipped with diagnostic systems that display error messages or sound alarms when the equipment malfunctions. Noting these alerts and responding promptly can prevent more severe damage.
Our technicians perform routine diagnostic and visual checks to ensure everything is running as it should, but you or your employees should also monitor equipment performance between maintenance checks. Recognizing indicators early on allows Quincy Recycle to address issues before they become significant problems, protecting the investment you’ve made in your recycling equipment.
Protect Your Investment with High-Quality Servicing from Quincy Recycle
Taking proactive steps to maintain your industrial baler ensures it remains a reliable asset in your recycling and waste management plans.
At Quincy Recycle, we help businesses maximize the lifespan of their industrial balers through high-quality servicing. Our team provides the expertise and support to keep your recycling operations running smoothly, safely, and efficiently.
To schedule regular inspections or immediate repairs, call Quincy Recycle at 800.311.6097 or contact us online.
Are all Plastics Equally Valuable to Recycle?
Plastic bottles rank among the nation’s top-recycled materials, yet millions of tons of plastic end up in landfills each year.
At Quincy Recycle, we work with businesses and manufacturers to divert recyclable Post-Industrial plastics from landfills and maximize the value of their plastic loads.
Not all plastics are equally valuable to recycle: different types have fluctuating market prices and uses. However, customers can increase the value of their plastic loads by taking proactive steps in their waste streams.
Types of Recyclable Plastics
The value of recycled plastic largely depends on its type, quality, and cleanliness. For example, clean, clear polyethylene terephthalate (PET – type 1) plastic, like water bottles, and high density polyethylene (HDPE – type 2) are often more valuable than colored or opaque plastics. However, not all Post-Industrial scrap plastics are perfect, some may be in purge form or some other type of hard to handle shape.
Other types of plastics, such as low-density polyethylene (LDPE – type 4) and polypropylene (PP – type 5), can still hold recycling value for both businesses and the economy. We’ve been in the industrial recycling industry for nearly fifty years and have helped companies nationwide identify successful waste-stream opportunities.
How to Increase the Value of Your Plastic Scrap
Keep Plastics Free from Contaminants
Post-Industrial Plastic loads should be clean. Contaminants make the recycling process more difficult and less efficient. Contaminated plastics also often require additional processing or can only be recycled into lower-quality products, reducing their market value.
Plastic contaminants include:
- Food waste
- Chemical residues
- Paper labels and stickers
- Metal parts and screws
- Glass fragments
- Textiles and fabrics
- Other types of non-plastic materials
Sort by Type
Plastics come in many types, each identified by a resin identification code (1 through 7). Sorting plastics by these codes helps ensure they go through the correct recycling or disposal process.
Mixed-commodity trailers are convenient, but they aren’t always the best option for the client. When you send us trailers loaded with similar-quality plastic loads, we can more effectively find appropriate buyers for your material. Buyers often look for specific types of plastic in good condition that can be recycled into high-quality new products. When recyclable materials (such as metal with plastic) mix, it can change the processing and recyclability but Quincy Recycle can still manage the material.
Maintain Consistent Quality
Manufacturers can take proactive steps to grade their plastic waste by keeping premium-quality plastics separate from those that have been extensively used, contaminated, or degraded. Higher-quality plastics (without discoloration, degradation, or impurities) usually fetch higher prices.
You can also improve the value of your recyclable plastics by:
- Educating employees about the importance of recycling and how to do it correctly
- Ensuring that collection and storage processes don’t introduce more contaminants
Not all plastics are equally valuable to recycle, but manufacturers can take steps to improve the value of their plastic recyclables.
At Quincy Recycle, we help our customers effectively manage waste streams and reduce the amount of plastic waste sent to landfills regardless of contamination or form.
Our team works closely with each customer to develop a customized waste management plan that maximizes the value of their recyclable materials and supports their sustainability goals.
Are you interested in recycling your plastic waste? Call us at 800.311.6097 or fill out our contact form to start the conversation!