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The Benefits of Using Scales in the Recycling Industry

The Benefits of Using Scales in the Recycling Industry

As sustainability becomes more crucial, the need for an efficient recycling industry also increases. Our actions as producers and consumers have a profound effect on the environment, and we must reduce waste and reuse materials as much as possible.

Industrial weighing equipment plays a vital role in recycling at both small operations and national facilities. In this blog post, we’ll discover the benefits of using scales in the recycling industry.



What Are Weighing Scales Used for in the Recycling Industry?

Weighing scales can be used in a wide range of operations to reduce the amount of waste material produced.

Recycling and waste disposal can be difficult as there is often a thin margin between waste products and recyclable materials. It’s crucial then that the operation is efficient and that the waste produced is accurately measured and managed.

Many recycling operations or facilities rely on reliable weight readings to monitor the amount of materials loaded into their vehicles and taken to be disposed of or recycled.

Manufacturing companies may use weighing scales to weigh the amount of waste produced so that sufficient changes can be made to reduce it and therefore save both time and money. Efficient weight management can also help to reduce the costs involved with waste disposal, including processing machinery and transportation.

Some operations may also use a weighing scale to weigh recyclable waste such as scrap metals which can then be sold. These salvage operations and recycling plants that buy or sell waste products and recyclable materials will require a trade approved scale.



What Are the Benefits of Using Industrial Scales for Recycling?

There are a range of benefits for using industrial scales in a recycling operation. When integrated into the process, weighing scales can help to improve efficiency and save both time and money. Industrial scales with printer compatibility and USB connectivity can help to manage data more efficiently and populate spreadsheets automatically.

Using industrial scales to monitor the weight loads for recycling trucks and waste transportation vehicles can also help to improve safety and avoid dangerous overloading. Using scales can also reduce the amount of waste physically handled by employees.

Recycling or manufacturing companies than buy or sell waste materials for recycling purposes, such as metal, paper, specific plastics and glass, can benefit from a reliable trade-approved scale to ensure a fair price.



What Types of Scales Are Used in the Recycling Industry?
Axle Weigh Pads

Axle weigh pads are an affordable alternative to installing a weighbridge and are capable of weighing vehicles to a high accuracy to ensure they are not overloaded. Our portable Marsden AP-200 Axle Weigher boasts a capacity of 20,000kg and can provide reliable weight readings for container lorries. Vehicles can be directly driven on to the scale and weighed once stopped for a static reading. For faster weighing, vehicles can be weighed in motion meaning the vehicles are drove on onto the pads slowly but do not stop still.


Floor Scales & Bench Scales

Industrial Floor Scales are available in a range of sizes, capacities and accuracies, and can be used in the recycling industry to weigh waste materials during the sorting process and ensure an accurate weight reading.

The Marsden HSS is a stainless steel bench scale that is easy-to-use and can efficiently speed up weighing processes and weigh boxes, sacks and crates of waste materials, and be washed down easily to avoid cross-contamination. When paired with the JIK-APP Indicator, the scale can be made Trade Approved and can therefore be used when the weight of the recycled materials or waste dictates the price. It also boasts an RS-232 output so that the scale can be connected to a computer and send weight data to a spreadsheet.

Bench scales, like the HSS, are also used in the recycling industry and are ideal for weighing smaller items. Many of our Marsden Bench scales possess an IP rating that indicates their level of protection against dust and liquids, meaning they can be used in a range of challenging work environments.


Pallet Truck Scales

High capacity pallet truck scales can also be used to improve efficiency at recycling plants and operations where the items are palletised. As a portable weighing scale, they can be taken to the load rather than the load being transported to the scale, saving valuable time and work labour. The premium Marsden PT-450 Waterproof Pallet Truck Scale has an IP68 rating and a capacity of 2000kg making it ideal for transporting heavy pallets of materials in challenging work conditions.



Improve Your Recycling Operation With Marsden

At Marsden, we have over 90 years of experience supplying reliable and accurate scales to a range of industries. To find out more on how our industrial scales can improve the efficiency of your recycling operation, call our weighing scales experts today on +44 (0) 1709 364 296, or email sales@marsdengroup.co.uk.



Further Reading

How much does a pallet truck scale weigh?

How do pallet scales work?

Choosing the right scale for your warehouse