Dive Brief:
- Green Life Waste Solutions in Burlington, NC installed a Gold Rush model "free jam two-ram" baler last month, which has improved safety and efficiency at the recycling plant, according to co-owners Justin and Wayne Moody.
- The old, single-ram baler produced 300 tons of cardboard a month, and workers needed to stop production four to five times a day to clear material jams. The new baler — which is designed and manufactured by Catawba Baler & Equipment, based in Greensboro, NC — allows Green Life to produce 300 tons of cardboard in just over a week, without the issue of material jams.
- "We are getting a heavier bale weight with the Gold Rush, which will enable us to enter the export market and get approximately $15 more per bale," said Justin Moody.
Dive Insight:
Recycling can be a dangerous industry. According to a report last month, 17 workers were killed on the job at recycling materials recovery facilities from 2011 to 2013.
"Safety is one of our largest concerns," said Justin Moody. "People have to go inside the baler to clear a jam, and we read about workers getting hurt doing this."
Equipment that's designed with safety in mind can also be efficient. CB&E reported that, with the new baler, Green Life was able to expand the type of material it can safely and efficiently process, including plastic bottles, newspapers, heavy print paper and shrink film.
Other initiatives in the waste industry can contribute to worker safety, including the Slow Down to Get Around laws that have been implemented in nine states.
