SP Updates: Where we’re at and where we’re going

Having entered the holiday season and with the end of 2011 fast approaching, SP would like to discuss our present and future.  Not only have we been much more active in manufacturing and selling Extended Height Dumpers, but we are also heavily focused on marketing our metal recycling systems. This focus stems from a push to maximize efficiency as well as sustainability throughout the metal recycling process. 

As business picks up, we are seeing a good deal of interest from the food waste industry as well as transfer stations around the country.  Some of our latest equipment shipments include CP-8002 compactors, ROLO dumpers, and many food waste compactors such as our CP-125 and CP-155 units.  We are also very excited about our new hydraulic latch system designed to secure semi-trailers to commercial compactors and allow for fast, efficient trailer replacement. This premium alternative to traditional ratchet fastening systems covers the shaft from weather exposure and prevents corrosion therefore extending its overall life. 

We have also been regularly updating our website with new literature, photos, and interactive 3D drawings from our engineering department. There has been a boost in our website traffic and our social media presence is ever growing.  As always, we enjoy the online dialogue with others in the waste handling industry and would love to hear from you on Facebook or Twitter.  On a separate note, shortly after the first of the year we will be releasing our new pricing guide to reflect updated parts and equipment changes.  More information on this will be available once the changes have taken place.

Finally, SP invites you to incorporate sustainability into your holiday season personally and professionally.  There are many ways to reduce waste or plan ahead with the environment in mind and online resources such as www.facebook.com/greenopolis, http://www.facebook.com/RecycleBank, and http://twitter.com/#!/carbonfeet serve as great for reminders for how to accomplish this.    

Becoming a Dealer for SP Industries

SP is currently looking for dealers who are as committed to customer satisfaction as we are.  As you may know, we are a leading manufacturer in the waste material handling industry dedicated to selling premium products and systems.  Our facility has been producing product destruction, recycling, compaction, and cart dumping equipment for over 45 years. And most importantly, our sustainable systems attract customers by providing them the lowest overall operating costs in waste handling. 

Lowering operating costs happens on many levels with SP equipment.  By maximizing payloads our equipment minimizes labor, transportation costs, equipment repairs, power usage, fuel emissions, resulting in a significant reduction in your carbon footprint.  Our website is an excellent resource for details regarding the many time-saving and money-saving reasons why our waste equipment outperforms the competition.

Right now we serve a wide customer base in the food waste, metal recycling, pallet destruction, and waste compaction industries.  Expanding our operation, however, does not happen without qualified dealers who are sales minded and can provide customers with support throughout the buying process.  For dealers as well as direct customers, SP provides sales training, technical support, systems consultation, and the best warranty program  in our industry for all of the equipment we manufacture.

If you are interested in becoming a dealer of high quality waste handling equipment, we would love to hear from you!  Please contact Denny Pool at 800.592.5959 or denny@sp-industries.com for more information on pursuing a relationship with SP.

Transfer Station Operations

One of the many operations that SP Industries manufactures compactor systems for is the transfer station. SP offers many options for choosing a high quality, high density transfer compactor from different cylinder configurations to custom-designed systems that fit the needs of specific waste streams. In the waste handling industry, transfer stations allow municipalities a manner of collecting waste at one location before it is hauled off to a landfill that may be miles away. Because they are often times located in residential and commercial areas, transfer stations must take into consideration how daily operations may affect their neighbors. For instance, the coming and going of waste haulers dumping into compactors, debris clean up, and garbage odor are a few concerns that become important to monitor while operating in and around communities.

Waste Advantage  has recently released an article detailing the plan for community outreach that transfer operations should make as a part of the ongoing communication with their neighbors. A transfer station located adjacent to homes and businesses, for example, should consider monthly meetings with community members regarding a commitment to hiring local workers or landscape improvements. Also, as is the case in almost all planning and development stages, stations should develop a clear explanation of why the community needs the station and what benefits it provides.

After brainstorming a plan, transfer stations need to develop a process for responding to community concerns that the community is familiar with. One person should be assigned as the primary contact for community members with questions and concerns. Another consideration is for transfer stations to organize periodic facility tours for neighbors who are unfamiliar with station operations.


For more information on transfer stations and their role in a community visit http://www.sp-industries.com/ or http://wasteadvantagemag.com/

The SP Triple Bottom Line

We have been busy updating our literature, tweaking the website, and working on new products! The theme we have kept in mind during these updates and changes has been a continuing focus on sustainability, most popularly known as “thinking green.” At SP, we take a very detailed and involved approach to sustainability. The development and production of new products to be added to our line of waste handling equipment centers around meeting the needs of the present without compromising those of the future. In other words, we gauge how sustainable our products and operations are according to how well they uphold three interdependent dimensions: the environment, economics, and society—what we refer to as our triple bottom line.


For a leader in the waste material handling industry, adhering to this triple bottom line means manufacturing equipment that not only achieves maximum density but also increases our customers’ payloads and results in less trash hauling. Also, with the economy in mind, we have specific criteria designed to help our customers perform an accurate cost savings analysis regarding their material handling and recycling efforts. For instance, it is important for companies to ask: “What size and type of waste am I dealing with?” “What volume have we produced in the past?” “What compaction ratio are we currently getting?” How many pick-ups do we currently have and what is the maximum load allowance in our current container?” Moreover, we help companies navigate deciding among buying, leasing, and renting. Labor and equipment intensity also becomes relevant in making purchasing decisions especially in terms of the number of workers and machines utilized within a waste handling operation.


Read more about how our systems make waste handling operations more sustainable in our latest metal recycling catalog or on our website. Also, we would love to hear any questions or comments that you have via a response to this post or by emailing us.

Updated child labor provision for operating waste equipment

Because operating our equipment safely is a top priority at SP, it is important that we help spread the word on the latest labor laws pertinent to our industry.   

The US Department of Labor has published an important child labor provision regarding the operation of waste equipment by persons under the age of 18. The new law prohibits minors less than 18 years of age from loading, operating, and unloading power-driven paper processing machines, including all balers and compactors, guillotine paper cutters or shears, platen printing presses, and envelope die-cutting presses. There are limited exceptions that allow 16 and 17 year olds to load, but not operate or unload certain scrap paper balers and paper box compactors if the following requirements are met:

1. The equipment meets one of the following the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards:

• ANSI Standard Z245.5-1990
• ANSI Standard Z245.2-1992
• ANSI Standard Z245.5-1997
• ANSI Standard Z245.2-1997
• ANSI Standard Z245.5-2004
• ANSI Standard Z245.2-2004
• ANSI Standard Z245.5-2008
• ANSI Standard Z245.2-2008

2. The equipment contains a poster or notice that:

• Identifies the specific ANSI standard that the equipment meets
• States that 16- and 17-year-olds may only load the equipment
• States that no one under 18 years old may operate or unload the equipment

3.The equipment must include an on/off switch with a key-lock or other system, and the control of the system must be in the custody of employees 18 years of age or older.


4. The on/off switch must be maintained in the off position when the equipment is not in operation.


5. The equipment cannot be operated while it is being loaded.

For more information, visit the Department of Labor website at http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs57.htm