SP Reduces Waste Costs for Weber Packaging by 20% !

Creating fuel out of waste provides an incredible benefit to the environment and oftentimes your pocket book.  Weber Packaging Solutions found this out when they recently launched a new operation that helps convert its former label waste into fuel instead of landfill fodder.

Weber makes pressure-sensitive labels for use by both industrial and consumer goods companies. The firm annually produces more than 1,500 tons of paper and synthetic waste as a byproduct of its label manufacturing and printing operation inside its 320,000-sq-ft facility.

Weber then needed to determine a reasonable means of collecting its label waste and transporting it 200 miles to the Pellet America plant that is able to transform non-recyclable paper and synthetic waste into pellets that are used as an industrial fuel source.

For this Weber turned to our NP-165 scrap-loading system designed to pack paper waste into semi trailers.  This machine has been successfully integrated at several newspaper printing facilities across the United States to load (via compaction) over the road semi trailer with up to 40,000 pounds of scrap Old Newsprint (ONP).  At Weber, this system will allow the company to redirect 99 percent of their annual label waste from the landfill, and repurpose it as raw material for fuel pellets.  They will also be able to reduce their waste disposal expenses by nearly 20 percent, including the cost of using semi-trailers to transport their material.

Let us know how your organization has made their material handling practices more sustainable by commenting on this post.  Also, you can get a no obligation evaluation of your current system and how we can increase efficiency and boost saving for you by visiting:   http://www.sp-industries.com/costCalculator.cfm

Metal Recycling Compactors

Recycling scrap metal is an enormous business in the United States.  From the 56 billion aluminum cans recycled in 2010, to the millions of tons of ferrous and non-ferrous metals sorted, sheared, shredded, torched and baled at processing plants, the metal recycling business is booming. Compactors play an important role in this recycling process because achieving higher density during compaction equates to larger loads that can be transported from processing plants to steel mills.  The higher the density, the more money that processors save in transportation.

SP makes long lasting, fast cycling pre-crushers and metal compactors designed to maximize the efficiency and reliability.  Our systems can include fluid collection systems designed to separate oil from metal turnings and chips.  Also, our closed compaction containers eliminate the potential for ground water contamination in and around metal processing areas.   Most importantly, our equipment is backed by the best warranty in the industry and our engineers can address any site-specific installation concerns.

A great resource with information on all of our metal compaction equipment is our metal recycling catalog. You can also visit SP online at sp-industries.com for more information about metal compaction and equipment specifications.  And we would love to hear your experience with metal recycling by replying to this post or contacting us on Facebook or Twitter. 

Safety first . . .and next, and last!

First off, Happy New Year!  The holidays have passed and 2012 is here with new opportunities and challenges.  One challenge that cannot be ignored (especially at work) is safety.  And as you know, safety is not only very important in the waste handling industry but EVERY industry.

You may or may not be aware that a sizeable amount of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) focus is on employee education and training in the workplace.   For some time though, this information hasn’t been easy to locate because a great deal of it is spread throughout their standards publication and within other regulations.   In response to this “missing section” a recent collection of OSHA standards that are employee-training specific has been produced that aims to be a useful reference.

Although they do represent a condensed version of the standards and are not 100% authoritative, this site provides an invaluable resource for managers.  Across the board standards such as emergency and fire evacuation plans are listed as well as considerations for specialized industries that deal with chemicals and radiation.  Also, this reference provides detail on the safe use of heavy duty material handling machinery for both commercial and industrial jobsites. 

So expand your understanding of workplace safety by visiting this part of the OSHA Training network:  www.oshatraining.com/osha-general-industry-training-requirements.php  

For more safety information regarding the use of our waste handling equipment specifically you can always browse our equipment specifications online at:  www.bestcompactors.com  Also, feel free to contact the chairman of the compactor committee for the ANSI Z245 Accredited Standards Committee and our president, Denny Pool, at denny@sp-industries.com

The Benefits of High Density Compaction

When looking into purchasing a compactor there are many things to consider.  Simply understanding that these machines are designed to compact waste materials into a container is just the beginning.  It is important to look for a compactor that not only reduces volume, but also saves you money.  Oftentimes, taking into consideration the benefits of a compactor can make the purchasing decision an easy one. 

First and foremost, high density compaction reduces the costs associated with hauling waste.  Simply put, the more waste that gets squeezed into your container equates to fewer trips that need to be made to the landfill.  Moreover, these fewer trips to the landfill reduce the potential for property damage to black top or concrete loading areas.  As you can imagine, over time the traffic from 50 ton waste trucks can produce significant wear and tear on your lot.  Compactors also reduce the risk of fire at a facility.   Because compaction revolves around removing air to reduce volume, the higher density loads created throughout the process are much less likely to burn than loose trash.

For some companies product destruction becomes very important when disposing sensitive material.  Destroying products through compaction prevents their reuse and ensures peace of mind.  Compactors that have been operating for several years in harsh conditions can reflect their long life in chipping paint and weathered seals and hinges.  Therefore, at the very least, a new machine improves the aesthetics of a plant’s waste handling area.

Installing a compactor with a full enclosure design can also allow for better climate control in a facility.  This design eliminates the need to open doors on cold walls that let outside air in or inside air out.  These sealed systems also play an important role in reducing pilfering and pest control.  This is because a compactor that is connected to a container restricts employee access while preventing rodents from crawling into the compaction chamber or container. 

In terms of safety, compactors help control workman compensation claims while increasing the ergonomics of waste disposal.  For instance, incorporating a cart dumper into a compaction system reduces the risk of injury associated with heavy lifting and disposal of awkward materials.  At the same time, these systems are very easy to operate and maintain.   

So what is your experience with operating waste handling equipment?  We are interested in hearing about your experience with compactors and compaction equipment.  Also, let us know about some of the features you would like to see incorporated into compactors in the future.

For more information on the benefits of high density compaction, visit our site here.