Baling Aluminum Cans

**jbrown40004** · 02-20-2013, 05:12 PM

Is it possible to crush and bale aluminum cans in a standard cardboard baler or is it necessary to get a crusher/baler specifically made for aluminum cans?

Thanks in advance.

**JohnM** · 02-20-2013, 05:28 PM

Good question.

I'm having a hard time thinking of a reason it wouldn't work, other than the bale possibly sticking to the top after being crushed.

Found this on a resellers FAQ

Used Box Baler FAQs

1. What size bale will the used baler make?
This particular used baler will make a 42x24x28 bale that weighs approximately between 250-400 lbs.

2. Will this used cardboard baler also bale other commodities?
Used Box Baler can only recommend baling cardboard, however we can confirm that several of our customers have or are currently utilizing their used cardboard balers for baling cans, film, cloths, and paper.

Surely someone around here has given it a shot?

**jghilino** · 02-20-2013, 07:11 PM

i bet it would work for plastics also

**Whm1** · 03-13-2013, 11:53 PM

It should bale it fine...I don't think the density of the bale is as high as with a densifier. I think my old yard use to do it with a baler untill they got a densifier. They have the magnet head built in to seperate metal and other contaminates to guarentee quality.

**logansryche** · 05-19-2015, 12:26 PM

Why crush with a bailer? Is there something specific about a bailer that a can crusher and tub won't rectifty?

**Mechanic688** · 05-19-2015, 12:31 PM

Originally Posted by logansryche

Why crush with a bailer? Is there something specific about a bailer that a can crusher and tub won't rectifty?

Whole lot larger quantity. My one yard has a small compactor that came from a cafeteria and it is used to crush alum cans. Makes a cute lil 2x2 bale.

**ResourcefulRecycling** · 05-19-2015, 07:18 PM

We use our cardboard baler for plastic, aluminum, low grade boards, insulated wire...etc

**hobo finds** · 06-02-2015, 08:36 PM

Some where I heard that uncrushed cans bale better than crushed ones...

**Abuilder** · 06-02-2015, 10:41 PM

Originally Posted by hobo finds

Some where I heard that uncrushed cans bale better than crushed ones...

If I remember right, it was Newattitude brought that up. She said that if the cans are crushed the bales are real loose and can fall apart.

**brassbuster** · 02-14-2016, 01:22 AM

Was looking for a recent post about baling can's can't seem to find it so I'll reply to this one. I work for a company that has 4 yard's that process' UBC'S (used beverage can's) 1 use's a crusher that has a magnet that pull's out all the loaded can's (nut's, bolt's, nail's in the can's) and tin can's then they are crushed and air forced up a tube into a 53 ft. trailer loose for shipment. Another use's a vert. cardboard baler which I helped set it up so we don't need cardboard on the top or bottom. The last 2 which is one I work at use a Mosley baler, very large baler that we also bale are old sheet alum. alum. siding, alum. breakage, sheet copper, insulated wire and cardboard or anything I think I can bale. Like Newattitude said smashed can's flat are hard to bale but crushed can's from the top down (Harbor Freight can crusher) are not. I bale between 10 and 15,000 lbs. of ubc's a week, my bale's weigh around 12 to 1500 lbs. each. Here's a couple pic's of my bale's. Thanks.