New compactor helping manage recycling at waste centre

Have you visited the Gregadoo Waste Management Centre this week?

Did you spot a giant blue and yellow machine inside the processing centre and wonder ‘what on earth is that’?

Well, curious community members, it’s Wagga City Council’s new Super 75 Fully Automatic Baler, capable of pressing up to four tons of waste an hour.

“It will enable compaction of cardboard, hard plastics, plastic film and aluminium and steel cans,” Project Coordinator Phill Blake said.

“It has a compaction force of 70 tons.”

The powerful compacting machine is capable of producing bales weighing a staggering 650 kilograms – roughly the same as a fully-grown American Bison.

“I suppose you could say compared to the old compactor, we are getting almost the weight of two of the old bales into one bale,” Mr Blake said.

“That means one truck load is carrying almost twice as much with each trip to the recycling facility for processing.

“That’ll allow us to save on transportation costs and reduce carbon emissions.”

The new machine replaces the facility’s aging compactor.

The installation of the baler included an upgrade to the power supply to the transfer station.

“This new baler’s been in operation for about a week,” Mr Blake said.

“Unlike the old machine, our new compactor automatically ties the bale and pushes them out the back.

“We used to have to tie the bales manually”.

Council believes the new, more efficient compactor will increase the centre’s capacity to meet rising demand.

Council received a grant for $49,548 from the New South Wales Environmental Protection Agency to put towards the purchase and installation of the baler.

This rebate offer is part of the NSW Government’s commitment to help business achieve long term waste reduction through the Waste Less, Recycle More Initiative.