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Drum & Glass Compactors

Our range

Robust compaction for complex waste streams

Some waste compression needs are relatively straightforward, while others require specialised tonnage, architecture, and safety features to process them effectively. Steel drums and glass bottles are two such materials. Notoriously bulky with superior structural strength, the former can feel near-impossible to compact yet take up significant room on site. The latter is similarly hard, requiring high force to crack, but also shatters instead of crushing flat, creating sharp debris that impacts safety and introducing air pockets in the pile that compromise efficiency. The Riverside range is tailored to meet these challenges head on. Our high-performance drum crushers make light work of industrial steel barrels, reducing them to a fraction of their original size so storage, handling, and disposal are far simpler. Meanwhile, our glass compactors safely compress brittle waste into manageable cullets, helping maximise payloads, reduce collection costs, and create tidier working environments.

Overview

What are drum and glass crushers?

Metal drum crushers and glass compactors are specialised machines designed to reduce the volume of these inherently complex and bulky waste streams. Suitable for indoor and outdoor use, the RWM Drum Press is a neat, vertical unit with a 24-tonne compaction force that can crush light steel drums or rolling hoop barrels of up to 205 litres. It also comes equipped with a 30-litre tray and integrated tap to capture and contain residual fluid, preventing contamination, environmental spills, and health and safety hazards.

The RWM Glass Crusher machine is equally efficient. Beyond its compact footprint and easy operation, it’s renowned for its impressive 5:1 volume reduction ratio that helps businesses tackle high volumes of waste on site with ease. When glass is fed into the top-loaded aperture, the unit’s internal crushing mechanism – powered by a 230V motor – smashes it into safe, manageable cullet, which drops into the 140L or 240L wheelie bins locked securely underneath. Once full, the container is rolled out to be collected for onward recycling and replaced with an empty one.

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What materials does it compact?

Our steel drum crushers are engineered to compact empty metal drums and oil barrels up to 205 litres. However, because Riverside machines are highly configurable, certain adaptations can be made to process heavy-duty plastic containers and pails too. While these machines are a staple among recycling centres, they’re also invaluable for manufacturers, chemical plants, and haulage companies alike. Our industrial and commercial glass crushers are slightly more commonplace, used to reduce the volume of glass bottles and containers in catering kitchens, bars and restaurants, offices, retail sites, recycling centres, and beyond.

Drums & barrels

Materials

Glass

Materials
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Bringing benefits in abundance

01

Keep sites clean and tidy

Steel drum compactors significantly reduce the volume of bulky items to help reclaim precious floorspace, and neatly contain liquid residues discharged during the compression process.

02

Boost operational efficiency

Our machines transform a labour-intensive chore into a push-button process. Workers simply roll an empty drum into the chamber, close the secure door, and activate the press.

03

Reduce collection costs

Fewer waste collections are required because flattened and crushed barrels take up significantly less space in bins and skips, dramatically reducing transport and haulage costs.

04

Enhance worker safety

Because our glass crushers are fully enclosed, any flying shards are safely contained in a guarded chamber, while fine cullet compacts efficiently downward rather than spilling over.

05

Improve recycling processes

Instead of breaking glass containers into bulky shards, our compactors produce small and manageable fragments that waste contractors can readily accept and route to recycling.

06

Improve on-site storage

When storage is at a premium, we help companies eliminate the mounting space management constraints brought by glass bottles and containers, freeing valuable room for operational use.

Featured

Meet the RWM SP14

If you’re looking beyond the scope of a drum crusher, compactor for glass, or any other highly specialised waste compression solution, our range boasts a variety of multi-use models too. The RWM SP14 is among our all-time bestsellers, perfectly suited for handling both wet and dry materials – including cardboard, paper, general refuse, and food waste – with a sealed construction that prevents leaks and contains odours. And, because it’s portable, it manoeuvres effortlessly around your site to meet different operational requirements.
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