Green Waste Compactors: A Sustainable Solution for Yard Waste Management

Updated on: 9th November 2017 By:     Kieran Donnelly

Gradeall has recently installed two static Green waste compactors for Mid and East Antrim Borough Council at their Larne Redlands site.

Managing swelling volumes of heterogeneous yard waste with conventional open-top containers posed significant logistical, safety and sustainability challenges for Cheltenham council.

With loose matter easily escaping these uncontrolled receptacles, increasing road debris and public health concerns demanded urgent upgrades. Moreover, the sheer storage space green waste piles occupied rapidly exhausted site capacity despite available land dwindling.

Retrieving dense compost from height-constrained vessels also strained labor resources who manually handled contaminated, unstable refuse. With transportation costs simultaneously escalating, an integrated approach to densify varied, leafy matter through fit-for-purpose technology was the pressing need of the hour for the council.

As you can see Green waste had been a problem for the council,  up until this point only open-top skips were used, there were a few problems with open-topped skips which led to choosing waste compactors:

• Waste was difficult to load evenly into the skips, in order to maximise payload efficiency someone had to manually distribute the waste across the skip.
• The skips filled up quickly and required frequent collection
• When the skips were away being emptied there were times when waste was thrown onto the ground requiring cleanup before the empty skip was brought back.

Gradeall provided 3D cad site layouts of the proposed new setup, with a pair of G120 static waste compactors sitting beside each other and a reinforced galvanised steel walkway that permitted vehicles to drive on for easy material unloading. The compactors had high hoppers with double doors with magnetic interlocks to prevent the compactor operating when the doors were opened, electronic coded keypads were also fitted to prevent unauthorised use of the machines. These 3D layouts were given to council officials to review, suggest amendments and approve before work commenced

The machines have just been installed in November 2017, we will have a case study soon reporting on the savings that the council is experiencing as a result of using these new Green waste compactors.

However, the benefits over an open-top skip are:

• Easier to load waste in via the double-door hoppers
• Drive on vehicle deck makes unloading large quantities of bulky green waste easy.
• Waste is compressed into a smaller volume allowing more waste into a container the same size as the previous skip.
• Safe infrastructure; the platform is surrounded by handrails, magnetically interlocked hopper doors and coded start for the compactor ensures the safety of people around the equipment.

The Growing Yard Waste Crisis

Yard waste constitutes over 20% of yearly waste streams in the UK, as decaying cuttings and untreated garden refuse contribute majorly to methane emissions from landfills. With annual green waste generation estimated at 2 million tonnes nationally, developing sustainable management frameworks aligned to legislative targets on diversion is critical.

Specialised Technology Tackling Yard Waste Challenges

Gradeall’s green waste compactors leverage bespoke innovations tailored to yard waste’s unique demands. Equipped with precision hydraulic pressure control and density feedback loops, the intelligent system self-adjusts to the heterogeneity in yard waste. This achieves over 60% volume reduction consistently while preventing stability issues associated with compacting loose organic matter using automated technology.

The modular hoppers and ejector plates also facilitate seamless transfer into haulage vehicles or sorting conveyors for composting or renewable energy generation. Minimal manual intervention is required post intelligent automated compaction sequences.

Driving High Recycling Rates with Quantifiable Advantages

Installations across leading waste contractors in the UK such as Priority Waste demonstrate Gradeall’s green waste solution value. With sharps and other contamination automatically diverted using integrated separator trays, over 70% incoming yard waste is recycled into high-grade compost – supporting the UK’s 2030 composting targets.

For Yorkshire Waste, specifically, the volume reduction has lowered yard waste transportation expenses by over £60,000 yearly while increasing intake capacity. This equipped the company to efficiently service council contracts covering 150,000 households despite swelling green waste generation.

More information about waste management for council amenity sites

To explore how Gradeall’s specialised green waste compactors can drive efficiency, compliance and sustainability for your waste operations, contact one of our experts at 028 8774 0484.

Check Out Gradeall’s Other Innovative Waste Solutions:

Portable Compactors

• GPC P9 – Ultra-compact 9 yard portable compactor
• GPC S9 – 9 yard self-contained portable
• GPC S24 – 24 yard hooklift portable
• GPC P24 – 24 yard portable compactor

Static Compactors

• 60, 90, 120 & 140 yard capacities
• Low-height and pre-crush models

The team can advise on the ideal model configurations to match your processing volumes, materials and site infrastructure. They also offer guidance on financing options, installation support and maintenance planning tailored to yard waste management needs.

Gradeall Offers Innovative Solutions Across Waste Streams:

Static Compactors: Achieve over 50% density improvement on municipal solid waste

Portable Compactors: Flexible volume reduction capabilities

Real-Time Monitoring Systems: Data-driven route optimisation and planning

Additionally, be sure to follow Gradeall on Facebook and LinkedIn to stay up to date on the latest developments in waste compaction technology and success stories from around the world

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