How to manage the waste in a better and efficient way in distribution centers? It is an area that has been gaining increased attention in recent years. Because businesses are become more conscious of their environmental impact, also, the waste disposal costs are increasing. They are looking for ways to reduce waste and improve efficiency. This is especially true in distribution centers. Because distribution centers are where large amounts of packages are handled and delivered every day. Unfortunately, their waste management presents several challenges. In this article, we will discuss what the difficulties are, and how we can improve it.
Challenges Existed in Distribution Centers
Sheer Volume of Waste Generated
It is one of the main difficulties. Because distribution centers usually handle large amounts of products, as a result, they will create a lot of waste. These wastes are mostly packaging waste like cardboard/corrugated cardboard box, plastic film (for wrapping the goods), and other materials used to store and ship products. In addition to packaging waste, there are also waste generated from their operations. All of these wastes need to be disposed of properly, but “how to achieve” is a question they need to think about.
Complexity of Waste Streams
Distribution centers may have multiple types of waste as mentioned above. It will make it difficult to determine the best disposal method for each type of waste. Furthermore, these wastes will need to be transported to different locations for processing, which will be costly and time-consuming.
Large Storage Space Occupied
The large quantity of waste needs a lot of space for storage. It will waste their valuable and limited space which could have been used for business usage. Meanwhile, the stored waste will possibly cause safety and fire risks, and bad to employees’ health.
These are some of the main challenges that distribution centers are facing, while, how to change the situation? There are several methods can be carried out.
Optimization on the Waste Management in Distribution Centers
To improve the waste management in distribution centers, there are several steps you can take. First of all, it is necessary to install recycling balers in distribution centers. Because a recycling baler is a volume reduction equipment, which helps you compress large amounts of recyclables into manageable cubes and all in uniform shapes, allowing for easy storage and transportation.
Using recycling baling machines can greatly reduce the amount of space for storage and transportation, and reduces the cost associated with disposing of these waste materials. By compacting the waste, recycling balers can help you maximize the return on recyclable materials, as the bales are valuable commodities which can be sold in a much higher price than uncompacted waste. Therefore, in long-term consideration, the investment of recycling balers can lead to cost savings for distribution centers and create a neat and safe working environment for employees, you will benefit a lot from it.
Recycling Balers for Distribution Centers
There are several types of recycling balers applicable for distribution centers. Vertical balers, closed-end horizontal balers and fully automatic horizontal balers. Most of them can handle multiple materials like cardboard, paper, and plastic. This is quite helpful to distribution centers as they have all these type of waste materials.
Vertical balers involve more labor than horizontal balers. They need manually feeding waste material and manual tying the compacted bale. But vertical balers cost the lowest compared with the two types of horizontal balers.
Fully automatic horizontal balers (horizontal auto-tie balers) are just like the work horse. From material feeding to bale out, totally labor-free, and it usually have large capacity. But there are also small models of this baler type if you are in need of.
Horizontal closed-end baler is a choice between vertical balers and horizontal auto-tie balers. It is automatic except for bale tying. If your waste volume exceeds a vertical baler can handle but not so much that you need an auto-tie baler to handle or if the vertical baler is too labor intensive for you, then a horizontal closed-end baler will be an ideal choice.
Other Methods Consideration
In addition to installing a suitable recycling baler, there are some other methods you can do in the meantime.
For example, establish a waste management plan and tracking system. This is to record all the waste materials generated, how they are processed, and what are sold. In this process, you may know how to reduce the using amount of packaging materials and how to recycle them in a better and more cost-efficient way. The potential safety risks are reduced as well.
On the other hand, you can also provide employees with training on waste management. They need to be familiar with the company’s waste management plan, as well as any safety protocols that need to be followed. With proper training, the employees can know how to dispose materials correctly and safely.
Therefore, although the waste management in distribution centers has some challenges, they can take steps to improve their practices. Adopting a right recycling baler will be the first choice and it is an easy and straightforward way. If you are bothered by the waste management of your business, just contact us to find out how we can help you.
