Vertical Balers
Reduce cardboard and plastic trash volume by up to 90% and keep your facility organized with a compact vertical baler solution.
Benefits of a Vertical Baler
Reduce trash volume by up to 90%
Free up storage and floor space
Reduce pickup frequency and disposal costs
Produce dense, manageable bales for easier transport and recycling
Improve safety and organization by keeping loose cardboard off the floor
Support sustainability goals by improving recycling efficiency
Which vertical baler fits your operation?
Choosing the right vertical baler comes down to a few practical factors: how much material you generate, the size of the boxes or plastic you’re handling, how much space you have, and how often your team will bale. Use the guide below to narrow down the best fit before comparing models.
Small / medium volumes - Compact vertical balers
Small vertical balers or medium vertical balers are ideal when space is limited and baling is part of daily housekeeping rather than a high-throughput operation. These machines typically have a smaller footprint and are easy to integrate into existing workflows where trash is generated.
Best for:
- Low/medium daily cardboard or plastic volumes
- Small trashrooms, back-of-house areas, or space-constrained facilities
- Businesses that need a straightforward solution without overbuying capacity
What you’ll gain:
- Faster cleanup and better organization
- Reduced loose material and improved safety
- Consistent, manageable bales for recycling pickup
High volumes - Heavy-duty vertical balers for dense bales
Heavy-duty vertical balers are designed for higher compaction force, larger feed openings, and frequent cycling. They’re built for operations where trash generation is high and the baler needs to keep up without slowing down the workflow.
Best for:
- Larger boxes and bulkier materials
- High-volume cardboard or plastic streams
- Operations that bale frequently and want maximum density per bale
What you’ll gain:
- Faster processing and less downtime
- Fewer bales to store and transport (dense output)
- Strong long-term ROI for high and stable trash volumes
Quick checklist to confirm fit
Before selecting a model, consider:
- How much material do you generate per day/week?
- Do you handle bulky boxes or mostly flat cardboard?
- How much floor space and ceiling height do you have?
- How often will operators load the baler?
- Do you want to bale multiple materials (cardboard + plastic)?
Get a model recommendation based on your trash volume and space constraints.
Pneumatic vertical balers (Compressed Air)
Pneumatic balers use compressed air to power compaction and are often chosen for clean, low-maintenance operation. They are easy to install anywhere at your site since they eliminate the need of electrity. Either connect it to an exciting air system or to a compressor.
Best for:
- Lower to mid trash volumes
- Sites that prioritize simple operation and minimal maintenance
Key advantages:
- Efficient operation
- Clean system design (no hydraulic oil)
- Compact footprint options
Vertical vs Horizontal Balers – What’s the difference?
Both vertical and horizontal balers reduce trash volume by compressing recyclables into dense, manageable bales. The main difference is how material is loaded, how the machine cycles and the space requirements.
Vertical balers
Vertical balers compact material in a vertical chamber and are typically loaded by hand in batches. They’re a strong fit when you want a compact footprint, straightforward operation, and reliable day-to-day baling without a complex setup.
Best for:
- Facilities with limited floorspace
- Batch loading (operators add material throughout the day)
- Small to mid-volume cardboard and plastic streams
- Businesses that want a simple, easy-to-run baling process
Why choose a vertical baler:
- Compact design that fits in many work areas
- Simple operation and training
- Produces dense bales for storage and recycling pickup
- Great option for predictable, routine baling needs
Get help choosing the right vertical baler for your trash volume and workflow.
Rent a Vertical Baler
Low upfront investment with maximum flexibility
- Low initial investment
- Fixed monthly payments
- Flexible contract terms
- Service and maintenance included
Go to Rental Options or read more about Baler Rental
Buy a brand new vertical baler
Long-term solution with full ownership
- Long-term cost optimisation
- Full equipment ownership
- Ideal for high and stable trash volumes
- Service contract
Contact Us About Purchasing or explore our selection of Vertical Balers for sale.
FAQ
What is a vertical baler?
A Vertical Baler is a compact space saving machine for trash volume reduction. A trash baler is a machine that compact loaded trash materials such as cardboard and plastic into dense strapped bales. This way you cut trash volume by up to 90%. but that’s only for the trash material as containers or horizontal balers often requires a lot of footprint floorspace, a vertical baler is very tiny and compact compared to how much it can handle, which makes it fit in almost anywhere.
Hear more about how much you can optimize at which baler fits you.
How much does a vertical baler cost?
The price of a vertical Baler depends on various variables like which Vertical baler machine fits your trash streams the best and if you prefer to rent or buy it. Contact us to get a price now.
Which vertical cardboard baler is right for me?
Which Vertical baler machine that fits you comes down to the size of your site, your trash volumes and type of trash. Large volumes and bulk materials often requires larger machines as smaller amount of more soft materials fits in a smaller baler. You also need to think about how much space it can take up at your site. Get tailored advice from our experts at your site.
What’s the difference between vertical and horizontal balers?
The main difference between a horizontal baler and vertical baler is how it’s loaded and the space it requires. Vertical Balers are filled through a door at the front of the machine, making it more ergonomic to manage compared to horizontal balers that are filled form the top.
When it comes to the footprint of the machine a horizontal baler requires a lot more floorspace than a vertical baler. Mil-tek Vertical Balers takes up between 4.84 sq. ft. and 16.15 sq. ft. floorspace. Explore out Vertical Balers here.
What materials can I bale?
The most common ang suitable materials to bale in a Vertical Baler is Cardboard and Plastic. Mil-tek also provides specialized compactors for mixed trash, cans and EPS-polystyrene.
Do you offer vertical balers for sale, rental, or refurbished options?
YES! – Mil-tek offers a wide range of vertical balers that all are up for sale or renting, to make sure you’ll get a solution that fits your site in size as well as economical. We also provides a list of refurbished vertical balers.
Explore our Vertical balers for sale or renting, or learn more about refurbished balers.
Find the Right Vertical Baler and Start Saving Space, Time, and Costs
Looking for the most efficient way to manage cardboard and plastic waste?
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