Why Is the Demand for Horizontal Automatic Recycling Balers Growing in Illinois?

In recent years, the state of Illinois has seen a marked increase in demand for horizontal automatic recycling balers, driven by rising volumes of recyclable waste, growing pressure on disposal infrastructure, and rising labour and logistics costs. For companies operating in Illinois, this trend creates a timely opportunity to upgrade waste-handling capabilities – and for machinery manufacturers like ENERPAT, a window to serve this evolving need.

Rising volumes and pressing disposal costs

Illinois remains challenged by large annual volumes of waste delivered to landfills. For example, several of the state’s active landfill sites received over 45 million cubic yards in a single year, illustrating the scale of material that still requires diversion.

In Cook County (which includes the greater Chicago area), the most recent data shows a collected waste tonnage of around 1,041,162 tons, with only ~183,353 tons recycled — a recycling rate of roughly 18 % and an overall diversion rate around 27 %. These figures suggest that large quantities of cardboard, plastics, and other recyclable packaging still end up in disposal streams rather than being efficiently baled for recycling.

Within the recycling industry, major material recovery facilities (MRFs) in the Mid-West region handle tens of thousands of tons of paper and cardboard per year – for example, one regional operator reported ~92,000 tons of paper/board processed in a single year. This scale shows the potential for equipment that can transform loose waste into dense, transport-ready bales and thereby improve both cost and logistics efficiency.

Key industries stressing the need for horizontal recycling balers

Several sectors in Illinois are particularly well-positioned to benefit from investing in that category of equipment — the “horizontal automatic recycling baler” or often cited as a “horizontal cardboard baler / auto-tie horizontal baler” solution:

• Logistics & e-commerce distribution centres: These sites generate large volumes of corrugated cardboard (OCC), fill-in paper, cushioning materials, etc. Without efficient pre-processing their waste footprint is high; a fully automatic baler can compress that volume and significantly reduce storage, handling and outbound transport costs.

• Large-format retailers & supermarkets (big-box, grocery chains): Daily restocking, returns and packaging waste result in steady streams of cardboard and plastics. On-site baling helps reduce waste hauling costs and can generate recovery revenue by supplying baled material to recyclers.

• Manufacturing and assembly plants: The manufacturing base in Illinois produces not only primary goods but a steady stream of packaging waste, cardboard, wooden crates, plastic wrapping, etc. These facilities can benefit from a robust baling line to convert waste into marketable bales — especially as industry seeks cost-containment and sustainability.

• MRFs and independent recycling contractors: Because these operations sort mixed waste and generate large quantities of materials to sell, they benefit from equipment that can accept loose streams (cardboard, plastics, bottles) and produce uniform bale loads. A horizontal automatic baler helps drive higher throughput, lower labour input and improved bale quality for downstream buyers.

• Commercial complexes, hospitals, universities, campuses: These institutions generate sizable packaging waste streams and may seek to optimise internal logistics by compacting and baling onsite rather than paying higher waste removal fees or dealing with bulky loads.

• Packaging/box plants, print shops: These specialists generate substantial internal waste (trim, off-cuts, rejected boxes) and can gain efficiency by baling onsite rather than treating the waste as loose and costly to transport or compact.

From a demand-perspective, any site generating roughly 300–500 tons or more of balable waste per year should seriously consider investment in a mid- to large-sized automatic horizontal baler. For example:

• If one machine can handle 500–2,000 tons per year (depending on uptime and model), then a facility producing 300–500 tons is a realistic candidate for justifying investment.

• Estimating across Illinois: manufacturing firms ~19,779 in number; if ~3–5 % of those produce ≥300 tons/year of cardboard/plastic waste, that equals roughly 594–989 facilities potentially needing one machine each. Expand the scenario to 10 % (including mid-size warehouses, MRFs, etc) yields nearly 1,978 potential units — illustrating the latent demand.

• Major recyclers processing tens of thousands of tons/year could require multiple recycling balers each, not just one.

Why horizontal automatic recycling balers—and why now?

The move is not just about volume– it’s also about automation, labour cost, consistency and downstream value. Fully automated horizontal balers (auto-tie models) deliver several benefits:

• Less manual intervention in tying and ejection of bales → lower labour cost and fewer safety issues

• Uniform bale size and density → better acceptance by recyclers and higher value per ton

• Better utilisation of space and logistics (smaller footprints, better truck/trailer fill)

• Faster throughput, higher uptime and less operator variability

• Improved operational visibility and controls (with modern PLC systems, sensors, and alarms)

In the Illinois context, with labour costs rising and recycling/handling pressures mounting, this makes investing in an auto-tie horizontal recycling baler especially compelling.

How ENERPAT addresses the need

ENERPAT's HBA series of automatic horizontal recycling balers is well-suited for the Illinois market. A snapshot of key features:

• German automatic tying technology ensures the bale remains tightly bound and won’t loosen in transport.

• High-strength quenched steel wire used for bale ties ensures durability and consistent quality of bale block.

• Three-way compression design with three hydraulic cylinders (side oil cylinders linked with the main compression cylinder) ensures superior bale formation and high density.

• High-performance hydraulic system: large-flow valve blocks, H-type tapered interfaces to reduce leakage risk, and premium seals from brands such as Hallite (UK) for reliability and minimal downtime.

• PLC control via Siemens or Schneider, touch-screen or button operation, real-time monitoring of runtime, current, temperature, and built-in automatic alarm and maintenance reminders.

• Multiple model sizes covering 30–200 tons compression force, power 11–110 kW, bale sizes and weights configurable (e.g., HBA-30-5050 with 30 t compression for 40–70 kg bales, up to HBA-200-110125 with 200 t compression for 1,250–1,350 kg bales).

• Proven track record: For example the BMW plant deployed the HBA series — reinforcing reliability, brand trust and global experience.

All of these attributes make ENERPAT's automatic horizontal recycling baler portfolio especially appropriate for U.S. recycling/industrial markets — including Illinois.

Why Illinois customers should act now

• The waste landscape and regulatory context increasingly favour recovery. Illinois is actively promoting recycling infrastructure and building programmes to divert more material from landfills.

• Many large customer sites (logistics hubs, manufacturing centres, retailers) are located in or near the Chicago metro area, making deployment, service and logistics practicable.

• By upgrading to a horizontal automatic recycling baler solution today, companies can gain early advantage — lower hauling costs, more efficient space utilisation, improved recovery value and better sustainability credentials.

• With inflationary pressure on labour and transport, the ROI on baling equipment improves as it reduces manpower and transportation per unit of waste.

• For recyclers and MRFs, installing high-capacity automatic horizontal balers enables handling of larger streams and higher throughput, positioning them for growth and improved margin in a competitive environment.

Explore Our Solution

Get in Touch for a Tailored Proposal & Quote

Let's work together to evaluate your site's waste stream (cardboard, plastics, PET bottles, mixed industrial waste), estimate throughput needs, and define the model size and configuration that will best fit your budget and operational goals. Contact us to receive a customised solution and competitive quote — and join the growing number of Illinois customers leveraging horizontal automatic recycling balers for cost savings and greener operations.

Call us today! +1(909)-996-3687

Email: info@enerpatrecycling.com