Mil-Tek markets pneumatic balers - Equipment Report - Brief Article

Recycling Today, May, 2002

Warehouse and retail managers with pallet wrap, cardboard and other materials to bale are the target market for a pneumatic baler being marketed by Mil-tek Environmental Services America Inc., Los Angeles.

The vertical balers, made in Denmark, take up just a small footprint while compacting material from 70 to 95 percent. "The Mil-tek balers have no electrical components, they are basically maintenance free and very easy to operate," says Soren Thorup of Mil-tek Environmental Services America.

The balers, available in several different sizes, can make bales weighing up to 900 pounds. They get their energy from an air compressor operating in the 120 to 125 psi range. "We let the air do the job, and compressed air is very cheap," remarks Thorup. "Pay-back time on our equipment is mostly from eight months to 18 months," adds Thorup, who also refers to Mil-tek as "the fastest-growing baler manufacturer in Europe."

Among the materials the machine can handle are cardboard, plastics, textiles, cans, mixed waste and light debris.

Among Mil-tek's U.S. customers has been the Interstate Brands Companies facility in Sacramento, Calif. Interstate Sanitation and Food Safety Manager Steve Hartz says the company paid $14,350 for three Mil-tek balers that in 2001 produced a combined "savings of $16,199 for the year."