Belfast-based recycling company Skipway has increased the payload of mixed hard plastics shipped in 40ft containers to as much as 26 tonnes, adding around eight tonnes to each load following the installation of a new twin-ram baler supplied by Northern Ireland-based REP-TEC.

The improvement is reducing the number of containers required to move the material, while cutting shipping, local haulage and fuel costs. Skipway also reports faster loading times and less operator time spent handling each shipment.

📈 The new machine follows two earlier stages of baling operations. Skipway initially used a semi-automatic baler, which produced loads of around 10–12 tonnes per container. A refurbished REP-TEC twin-ram baler later increased payloads to approximately 18 tonnes, but the larger bales created handling difficulties for forklift operators and customers unloading the material.

The latest installation was therefore configured to balance payload capacity with bale dimensions and handling requirements. REP-TEC adjusted the machine settings after commissioning to produce more manageable bales, helping speed up container loading.

The progression from 10–12 tonnes to 24–26 tonnes per container highlights how baling technology and bale specification can influence the logistics economics of recycling mixed hard plastics, particularly for deep-sea shipments.