London Tyre Disposal: MKII Tyre Baler Cuts Transport Costs

London Tyre Disposal is a national tyre recycling company serving clients across London and the southern counties of England. Their core mission is straightforward: collect and process used tyres efficiently, reduce environmental harm, and convert waste into materials that can be put back to productive use. In 2011, they identified a specific gap in their operation and turned to Gradeall International for a solution.

This case study covers what prompted the investment, how the MKII Tyre Baler was implemented, and what London Tyre Disposal achieved as a direct result.

The Challenge: Processing Growing Tyre Volumes Across Southern England

As a national tyre recycling operation, London Tyre Disposal faced a problem that scales with success: the more clients you serve, the more tyre volume you need to process, transport, and account for. Whole tyres are bulky, difficult to store, and expensive to move in quantity. Without volume reduction, transport costs eat into margins quickly, and the environmental footprint of each collection round grows.

London Tyre Disposal needed processing equipment that could handle significant daily volumes, produce outputs acceptable for construction and civil engineering applications, and do so consistently without requiring a large operating team. PAS 108 compliance was a specific requirement, as it determines whether tyre bales qualify for use in construction mediums under the British standard.

The Solution: Gradeall MKII Tyre Baler

After evaluating their requirements, London Tyre Disposal invested in a Gradeall MKII Tyre Baler. Gradeall International, based in Dungannon, Northern Ireland, delivered and installed the machine directly at the London Tyre Disposal premises, with results visible within weeks of commissioning.

The MKII Tyre Baler is built for operations that need reliable, high-output tyre baling with minimal operator input. It produces bales to PAS 108 specification, which is the standard set by the British Standards Institution (BSI) and supported by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) for tyre bales used in construction applications.

What Is PAS 108 and Why Does It Matter?

PAS 108 is the British standard governing tyre bales intended for use in civil engineering and construction. It specifies the dimensions, density, wire-tying requirements, and structural characteristics a bale must meet before it can be used in applications such as retaining walls, embankments, and drainage systems.

For London Tyre Disposal, producing PAS 108-compliant bales was not just a quality consideration — it was a commercial one. Compliant bales have a clearly defined end market. Non-compliant bales do not. The MKII’s ability to consistently produce bales to this standard was central to the investment decision.

Why the MKII Tyre Baler Was the Right Fit

The MKII is designed for mid-to-high volume tyre recycling operations. It processes passenger car tyres in quantity, requires only a single operator, and integrates remote monitoring through the Intelli-Fill system. For London Tyre Disposal, those three factors aligned directly with their operational requirements: volume, labour efficiency, and visibility into machine performance.

Gradeall’s team handled the full delivery and installation process, which meant London Tyre Disposal’s team could begin operating with confidence from day one.

Proven Results from the MKII Tyre Baler Installation

The results London Tyre Disposal recorded after installation confirmed the business case for the investment. Transport costs were significantly reduced through improved load efficiency, the export value of the end product increased, and the company was able to process tyres in compliance with environmental disposal standards.

Steve Wilkinson, MD of London Tyre Disposal, confirmed the experience directly:

“Dealings with Gradeall from start to finish were dealt with in a swift and professional manner, and we couldn’t be happier with the results we are seeing from the MKII Tyre Baler. I would highly recommend Gradeall for ease of business and continued service and support.”

These results were not exceptional circumstances. They reflect what the MKII is engineered to deliver in a professionally managed tyre recycling operation.

Transport Cost Reduction

Baling compresses tyre volume by up to 80%. For a company running collection and transport across London and the southern counties, that reduction has a direct and measurable effect on logistics costs. Fewer vehicle movements per tonne of material processed means lower fuel costs, lower vehicle wear, and lower third-party haulage fees. The economics improve further when export is involved, since baled tyres pack into containers far more efficiently than loose or stacked whole tyres.

Maximised Export Value

Tyre bales produced to PAS 108 specification have a defined commercial value in construction and civil engineering markets. London Tyre Disposal maximised the export value of its processed material by consistently producing bales that met this standard, opening up end markets that would otherwise be unavailable to non-compliant products.

Rapid Return on Investment

Meaningful operational improvements were visible within weeks of installation. For a capital equipment investment, that is a strong indicator of product-market fit. The MKII’s combination of high throughput, low operator dependency, and PAS 108 compliance meant that London Tyre Disposal’s business model improved almost immediately after commissioning.

MKII Tyre Baler: Technical Specifications

The MKII Tyre Baler is a high-capacity machine built for consistent output over long operating hours. Its key technical parameters give a clear picture of what it delivers in practice.

The machine processes 400 to 500 tyres per hour, which is sufficient for mid-to-large tyre recycling operations handling significant daily volumes. Each bale is produced using 45 tonnes of compression force, resulting in a finished bale measuring approximately 1.5m x 1.2m x 0.75m. Each bale contains 95 to 110 passenger car tyres, depending on tyre size, and the process reduces overall tyre volume by 60 to 80%.

The MKII produces up to five PAS 108-compliant bales per hour under normal operating conditions. For operations running a single shift, that represents a substantial daily output from a single machine with a single operator.

Bale Wire System

The MKII uses a baling wire system designed for speed and operator safety. The wire is configured to click onto itself, which eliminates the need for manual tying and reduces the risk of wire-related injuries in the workplace. This is a practical design feature that improves both throughput and safety without requiring additional training or equipment.

Anti-Rebound Retainer System

Between compression strokes, retainers inside the baling chamber prevent compacted tyres from springing back when the chamber is opened to accept additional tyres. This is a straightforward engineering solution to a common problem in high-volume tyre baling: maintaining compression and chamber discipline during the loading cycle.

Bale Ejection

Finished bales are ejected using bale eject chains, which allow a single operator to move the completed bale safely onto a forklift without manual handling. This keeps the operation moving efficiently and reduces the physical demands on the person running the machine.

Single-Operator Control

The MKII’s control panel is designed for simplicity. One person can run the full baling cycle, from loading through to ejection, without requiring a second operator. For London Tyre Disposal, and for most commercial tyre recycling operations, that represents a meaningful labour efficiency gain compared to more complex or multi-operator systems.

Intelli-Fill Remote Monitoring System

The MKII Tyre Baler includes the Intelli-Fill remote monitoring system, which is built specifically to the requirements of tyre baler operations. Remote monitoring is increasingly standard in commercial recycling equipment, and the Intelli-Fill system is designed to give operators and managers actionable visibility into machine performance.

The system provides early warnings of potential processing problems before they develop into downtime events. It allows Gradeall’s support team to log in remotely to diagnose and resolve issues, reducing the need for on-site service visits and shortening resolution times. The system also provides enhanced control of baler settings, a built-in service counter for maintenance scheduling, and automatic email notifications when a baling cycle is complete.

For an operation like London Tyre Disposal, where processing continuity is tied directly to transport scheduling and client commitments, that level of visibility into machine status is a practical asset rather than a luxury.

Processing Truck Tyres with the MKII

The MKII Tyre Baler is optimised for passenger car tyres in its standard configuration. Truck tyres present a different challenge: their larger dimensions and stiffer sidewalls mean they cannot be baled whole in the same way. The solution is to combine the MKII with a sidewall cutter.

When the Gradeall truck tyre sidewall cutter is used upstream of the MKII, the sidewalls and treads of the truck tyre are removed first. The remaining tyre components are then loaded into the MKII in a specific stacking pattern, producing bales that can contain up to 26 truck tyre components. This combination approach extends the MKII’s processing range significantly and allows an operation to handle mixed tyre streams with a single baling unit.

For operations expecting a significant proportion of truck or commercial vehicle tyres, this is worth factoring into equipment planning from the outset.

Applications for Recycled Tyre Bales

London Tyre Disposal processes waste tyres into baled material that has genuine commercial value across several end markets. PAS 108-compliant tyre bales are used in a range of construction and civil engineering applications, including retaining walls, embankments, and drainage structures. Beyond construction, recycled tyre material processed to specification finds its way into other applications as well.

Tyre-derived material is used to line artificial sports surfaces, where its shock-absorbing properties are a performance advantage. In golf course construction and maintenance, it is used to improve drainage on fairways and greens. Processed tyre material is also used in walkways and street paving, providing a resilient and weather-resistant surface layer. In agricultural applications, tyre material can be broken down for use as composting support.

These end markets give tyre recycling operations like London Tyre Disposal a range of disposal routes, each with different commercial and logistical characteristics.

Multi-Material Processing Capability

Beyond tyre baling, the MKII can process a range of other materials when tyre volumes vary or when an operation handles mixed waste streams. The machine can bale fabrics, carpets, wool, plastic, and cardboard, giving operators the flexibility to keep the equipment productive throughout the working day.

This is a practical consideration for operations that do not run continuous tyre volumes or that handle collections across multiple material types.

Operational Safety Features

The MKII Tyre Baler is designed with a number of safety features that protect operators throughout the baling cycle. Four separate front and rear doors secure the tyre load during compression, preventing movement or ejection of material during the compression stroke. The anti-rebound retainer system keeps compacted tyres in position between strokes. The wire click system eliminates the manual tying process that is a common source of hand and wrist injuries in baling operations.

The optional conveyor feeding system, available as an add-on to the MKII, reduces the physical demands of loading the machine. For operations processing several hundred tyres per shift, manual loading is a significant ergonomic risk factor. The conveyor system reduces loading time and the associated risk of back-related injuries, while also improving throughput consistency.

The MKII’s power unit is designed to operate with reduced noise output and lower energy consumption relative to its processing capacity, which benefits both the working environment and the operating cost profile of the machine.

Why Choose Gradeall International for Tyre Recycling Equipment

London Tyre Disposal’s experience reflects what Gradeall International delivers consistently across its global client base. Gradeall is a specialist manufacturer of tyre recycling and waste management equipment, based at a five-acre manufacturing facility in Dungannon, Northern Ireland. The company has been designing and building recycling equipment for nearly 40 years, and its machines are operating in over 100 countries, from Iceland to Australia, Panama to Italy.

Every piece of equipment Gradeall manufactures is designed, engineered, and built in-house. The company does not resell or distribute third-party equipment. That means the technical depth behind the MKII, and every other machine in the Gradeall tyre recycling range, comes directly from the team that designed it.

Gradeall’s sales team has over 100 years of combined experience in the recycling industry. When London Tyre Disposal’s MD described dealings from start to finish as swift and professional, that is the standard Gradeall applies to every client engagement, from the initial enquiry through to after-sales support.

As Conor Murphy, Director of Gradeall International, puts it: the objective with every installation is to make sure the equipment performs exactly as specified and that the client’s team can operate it with confidence from day one. That is the benchmark, not the exception.

Who Should Consider the MKII Tyre Baler

The MKII Tyre Baler is the right equipment for operations that need high-volume passenger car tyre processing, PAS 108-compliant output, and efficient single-operator management. It is particularly well-suited to vehicle dismantlers managing end-of-life tyre volumes, tyre collectors running regular collection rounds, recycling centres handling mixed tyre and material streams, and tyre depots looking to reduce storage and transport costs.

If your operation handles a mix of passenger and truck tyres, the MKII combined with a Gradeall sidewall cutter gives you a complete processing solution from a single manufacturer with full technical support behind both machines.

To find out more about the MKII Tyre Baler, the broader Gradeall tyre recycling equipment range, or to discuss your specific processing requirements, contact the Gradeall team directly.