The Environmental Group Limited
Choose the Right Waste Baler for Your Operation
Choosing the right horizontal baler matters. The right machine keeps your site moving, reduces handling, lowers transport costs and produces good, dense bales that buyers actually want. The wrong baler slows everything down, requires more labour and increases costs.
This guide breaks things down in simple terms and shows which Kadant PAAL horizontal balers best suit each situation.
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Table of Contents
Why Choosing the Right Waste Baler Matters
A good horizontal baler helps you:
- Make dense, consistent bales
- Cut transport costs
- Improve material flow
- Increase resale value
- Reduce manual handling
If the baler is too small or not suited to your material, you will get jams, delays and low-value bales.
Recommended products:
- KONTI Series (275–700) – for high-density bales and continuous operation
- PACOMAT Series – for paper, OCC, mixed recyclables at small–medium sites
- HTR Twin‑Ram Series – for tough materials, MSW, plastics
- Dokon Series: for RDF, SRF and PEF
- S1W Series – for aluminium and steel cans
Match the Baler to Your Daily Throughput
Your first question should be: How much material do we process per day?
Small depots may only do a few tonnes per day. Big MRFs may push 100+ tonnes per hour.
Think about:
- Daily material volume
- Peak flow rates (busy times)
- Types of material
- Available space
Small to Medium
Suitable for sites handling cardboard, plastics, paper, and light mixed recyclables.
Recommended products:
● PACOMAT II or III Series (fully automatic, lower footprint)
● PAC B‑Series (semi‑auto, small footprint)
Medium to High
If you run conveyors or have steady incoming loads, you need continuous, automated baling.
Recommended products:
● KONTI 275–425 for medium facilities
● KONTI 500–700 for high‑volume MRFs
● DOKON H/H2 Series for RDF/SRF and high‑density wrapping
Very High or Heavy Duty
For MSW, RDF, plastics, mixed recyclables and tough materials.
Recommended products:
● HTR Two‑Ram Balers (425–700) – built for high compression, high density
● KONTI 500–700 for high‑volume MRFs
Planning for Baler Throughput and Capacity
Your horizontal baler must keep up with your busiest days—not just your average.
Think about:
- Average daily input
- Peak surges
- Conveyor output
- Future growth
If the baler can’t keep up, everything backs up. Recommended products by throughput need:
Throughput Need | Recommended Baler |
10–20 TPH | PACOMAT II / III, KONTI 275 |
20–40 TPH | KONTI 325–425 |
40–70 TPH | KONTI 500–700 or DOKON 500–600 |
70+ TPH or difficult waste | HTR 625–700 |
Bale Density & Transport Efficiency
Dense bales save money. You get:
- Fewer truck trips
- Lower cost per tonne
- Better stacking
- Higher resale value
If density matters, choose a baler with higher pressing force.
Best products for high-density bales:
- KONTI Series (high throughput + strong compaction)
- HTR Twin‑Ram Series (very high density, great for plastics, MSW, )
- DOKON Series (twine-tied bales ideal for wrapping and waste‑to‑energy and RDF)
- S1W Series for dense metal-can bales
Integration With MRF Systems
If you use conveyors, screens, or optical sorters, your baler must integrate smoothly.
Horizontal balers are designed for this.
Best horizontal balers for high-density bales:
- KONTI 275–700 – operates continuously with conveyors
- DOKON H / H2 Series – ideal for RDF/SRF lines
- HTR Series – for complex, high‑volume sorting plants
These balers keep material flowing and reduce manual work.
Match the Baler to the Material Type
Different materials need different balers:
Material | Best Baler Type |
OCC / Cardboard | PACOMAT, KONTI series |
Mixed paper | PACOMAT II/III/V, KONTI series |
Plastics | KONTI XL versions, HTR series |
RDF / SRF | DOKON series (twine-tying designed for wrapping) |
MSW | HTR two‑ram |
Aluminium & steel cans | S1W series |
Engineering Factors to Consider
Simple questions to ask:
- Does it fit your floor plan?
- Can it connect to your conveyors?
- How automated do you want it?
- What are the power and maintenance needs?
- Will it handle future volume increases?
Recommended high‑reliability models:
- KONTI Series – lowest long-term operating cost
- PACOMAT Series – robust and low maintenance
- DOKON Series – ideal for RDF/SRF facilities
- HTR Series – best for sites needing high reliability under heavy loads
Future-Proofing Your Facility
Choose a horizontal baler that can grow with your operation. If your waste streams or regulations change, you don’t want to replace the whole system again. Scalable options:
- KONTI 325–700 – can handle major increases in demand
- HTR 525–700 – high flexibility in materials
- DOKON Series – future-ready for RDF/SRF growth
- PACOMAT Series – great for expanding depots and warehouses
Need Help Choosing?
Our team can help match your material, space,
throughput and budget to the right baler.
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