At Riverside Waste Machinery, we don’t just like to shout about our technology – we strive to praise clients’ use of our balers too. And it’s particularly exciting to tell a customer’s story when it’s coming from a brand as prestigious as Pirelli.
Here, our MD (and motor enthusiast) Jonathan Oldfield talks about the tyre manufacturer’s innovative use of baling presses throughout the Riverside range…
“Our waste balers are, most commonly, used to process cardboard, plastic and paper. That’s partly because such waste arisings are generated every day, in UK businesses large and small. It’s also because these materials are relatively easy to handle and recycle. And, because baling technology is now so affordable, a greater number of organisations are taking control of their waste and being smarter with their ‘green’ thinking.
But, as a feature in Recycling & Waste World recently highlighted, there’s more to waste balers than tackling cardboard, plastic and paper. That’s certainly the case for Riverside’s baling equipment. Our robust presses are able to handle an array of materials, ranging from aluminium drinks cans and paint tins, to IBC drums and even rubber.
An organisation which really shows what balers are capable of, is Pirelli.
This renowned tyre manufacturer utilises our RWM60HD to compress uncured tyre production ‘offcuts’. Whilst these rubber strips are not heavy, they are awkward to handle. However, if they remain uncontaminated, they can be recovered and put back into the manufacturing process to achieve a closed loop model.
The RWM60HD has therefore proven a great asset for this heavy duty baling operation. We modified the machine to suit Pirelli’s specific recycling scenario, replacing the interior chamber with a pure stainless steel alternative with no painted surface and no chance of rust. This machine alone has helped to significantly increase Pirelli’s production rates thanks to the ongoing reinsertion of easy-to-handle raw material.
But, like many forward-thinking organisations, the opportunities to be environmentally savvy don’t stop there.
Understanding the true flexibility and scope of our baling technology, Pirelli also bales curing bladders (complex rubber components utilised in the tyre moulding process), first-stage covers, trimmings from the automated tyre pressing system and other rubber compounds.
These materials are admittedly difficult to process, but they can be efficiently pressed in our larger RWM550HD machine. With a large machine aperture and a hard-wearing baler chamber, this machine makes light work of the rubber ‘waste’, which is then sent offsite for specialist recycling.
An RWM400 mill size baler also takes care of Pirelli’s polypropylene bulk bags.
Because 25 tonnes of material are now salvaged every week, across two sites, the machines paid for themselves in a matter of months.
It just goes to show that there’s more to balers, than simply handling cardboard. We’re incredibly proud to see our machines making a difference in the country’s pledge to reduce, reuse and recycle.
If you are a customer of Riverside Waste Machinery and would like us to tell your baler story on our website, please contact sales@wastemachinery.co.uk. If you need further advice about your recycling scenario, or are interested in buying/renting a new or used waste baler, get in touch on the same email address or call 01423 325038.
