Strapping and banding choppers: 30yd dumpster into two drums of sellable scrap

Discussion in 'Metal and Alloy Waste Best Practices' started by Andy, Aug 28, 2013.

  1. Andy

    Andy Administrator Waste Min Publisher 2013 Industrial Waste Survey Participant

    Have seen a few choppers in use for both plastic pallet strapping and steel banding, and the plants that use them seem to really like them. They're a great machine to have if you deal with banded material for a few reasons:

    Fast payback... less than a year in many cases
    You're looking payback periods of less than a year in even fairly low-volume operations. Prices start at around $2500 for a self-feeding industrial unit which will handle Poly/PET strapping as well as Steel banding (including crimped clips).

    When you consider #1 steel busheling is right around $400/ton... and PET plastic is right around the same price, you can start to see how these units can pay off in a matter of months. Also, consider savings on dumpster space and labor, as well.

    Get rid of that nest of banding in your dumpster and practice some lean principles
    The rule of thumb is that a 30yd dumpster of strapping will chop down to about TWO 55 gallon drums worth of chopped strapping bits. So, that's not only eliminating the cost of that dumpster, but also the space it takes to drop and keep dumpster. Instead of having to jam banding into carts or drums to haul out to the dumpster, you can put a chopper right at the point of waste generation... at the material handling station or anywhere else.

    Reduce safety hazards
    In trying to save space in that dumpster or drum, people will try almost anything to tame strapping: folding, stomping, shoving, or any combination of the three. Especially in the case of steel banding, that can cause a lot of stored energy... and potential for snapback injuries and nasty lacerations. You also can't forget the hassle and potential for tripping injury when you have loops of banding underfoot.

    Tip from a chopper user: You might want to get the stand
    At around 350lb for a mid-sized unit, they're a pretty stout machine for the size. Unless you have a welder/fabricator in-house, you might want to spring for the optional steel base.



    If you have a chopper, what kind of experience have you had... any recommendations or learnings?
    Last edited: Oct 1, 2013