10 Questions You Should to Know about Cardboard Baling Wire

The best wire gauge for baling cardboard depends on the type of baler and the size and weight of your cardboard bales. For horizontal balers, we recommend 11–13 gauge wire. For vertical balers, we recommend 12–14 gauge wire. For two-ram auto-tie balers, we recommend 10–12 gauge wire. Talk to your baler manufacturer, read your baler’s instruction manual, or talk to us to figure out the best baling wire for your machine.

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Choose a wire gauge based on the tensile strength and load strength requirements of your cardboard bales. Your wire's load strength should exceed the weight of the bale—we suggest going with a heavier-duty wire with a higher load strength if there is any uncertainty.

Wire gauge is inversely correlated to wire diameter. The larger the diameter, the lower the gauge, and vice versa.

Best cardboard bale wire

We carry several wire options for baling cardboard. The best wire type for baling cardboard will also depend on storage conditions and duration. Here are some of the best options:

• Single loop bale ties can be manually cut to different lengths to accommodate inconsistent bale sizes. They work with horizontal and vertical manual balers. We offer both black annealed and galvanized single loop bale ties. Galvanized bale ties offer enhanced abrasion resistance for baled recyclables that are often handled roughly.
• Double loop ties go in auto-tie balers and come in pre-cut lengths. The double loop configuration accelerates the tying process, increasing productivity.
• Black annealed wire feeds smoothly through high-volume automatic baling machines that are commonly used in cardboard recycling. The rust resistance of galvanized wire is not usually necessary since cardboard bales need to be stored in a dry environment.
• Galvanized wire is less commonly used for baling cardboard. But if your bales require long-term storage, galvanization offers increased resistance to rust and corrosion to keep bales safe and secure.

Benefits of recycling cardboard

Most types of cardboard are recyclable. Some of the benefits of recycling cardboard include:

• Conservation of natural resources
• Reduced greenhouse gas emissions
• Reduced landfill waste
• Production of 50% less sulfur dioxide
• Job creation in collection, sorting, and processing
• Community engagement around environmental impact awareness

Trends in recycling and demand for sustainable practices are driving technological advancements in the field of cardboard recycling.

How is cardboard recycled?

The cardboard recycling process involves the following steps:

1. Cardboard is collected from residential curbsides or at recycling drop-off points.
2. The cardboard is taken to a recycling facility or paper mill for processing.
3. The cardboard is separated from other recyclables such as plastic, metal, and paper.
4. The sorted cardboard is compressed into bales.
5. The bales are sent for repulping. Paper fibers are cleaned to remove contaminants.
6. New cardboard and paper products are made from recycled cardboard fibers.

Cardboard baling tips

To choose the right baling wire for your requirements, review the following four factors:

1. Type of baler
2. Load strength and wire gauge requirements
3. Storage conditions
4. Cost considerations

Type of baler

Some baling machines will operate best with certain types of baling wire or a specific wire gauge range. To choose the right baling wire for your machine, determine which type of baler you have. In the recycling industry, vertical, horizontal, auto-tie, and two-ram balers are most common:

• Vertical balers take up little floor space, have smaller feed capacities, and generally require bale ties to be manually tied. The best types of wire for a vertical baler are single or double loop bale ties.
• Horizontal balers use more floor space, have larger feed hoppers, and are used in larger recycling and waste management operations. They are commonly semi-automatic or automatic baling machines; they begin operation automatically once their chamber is full, and they automatically tie bales. Boxes or stems (spools) of galvanized, high-tensile, or black annealed wire work best with horizontal balers. 
• Two-ram balers are horizontal balers that have an additional ram that produces denser, heavier bales than other balers. These balers are used in high-volume recycling facilities that handle challenging materials, such as tires or scrap metal.

Contact your baling machine manufacturer and read your baling machine manual to learn about the wire types and gauge sizes that work best with your baler machine.

Load strength and wire gauge

The type of material and the size of bales determine which wire gauge should be used. Thicker wire diameters (smaller wire gauges) have higher load and tensile strengths. Tensile strength is the force a material can withstand before breaking, and load strength is the weight a specific wire can hold without breaking.

When choosing a wire, calculate the weight of the bale and the combined load strengths of the wires you’re using. The total load strength of all baling wires should exceed the weight of the bale. Here is a chart of bale weights for common recyclables and regular (not high-tensile wire) load strengths:

Material

Bale weight (lbs)

Recommended wire gauge

Load strength per wire (lbs)

Paper (compacted)

1,200–1,800

10–13

509–1,755

Cardboard (compacted)

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1,000–1,500

10–14

402–1,755

Plastic (mixed)

800–1,200

10–13

509–1,755

Aluminum cans

400–600

12

565–1,180

To learn more about how each baling wire gauge is used, check out the following articles:

• What is 9 gauge wire used for?
• What is 10 gauge wire used for?
• What is 11 gauge wire used for?
• What is 12 gauge wire used for?
• What is 13 gauge wire used for?
• What is 14 gauge wire used for?

You can also check out our pages on the best wire gauge for each purpose to learn more about baling common recyclables with vertical balers:

• Best wire gauge for baling cardboard
• Best wire gauge for baling plastic
• Best wire gauge for baling carpet
• Best wire gauge for baling copper
• Best wire gauge for baling e-waste
• Best wire gauge for baling foam
• Best wire gauge for baling paper
• Best wire gauge for baling tires
• Best wire gauge for baling textiles

Storage conditions

Storage duration and conditions also influence wire selection. Baling wire rusts when exposed to wet, humid, or chemical storage conditions, or when it is used outside. To improve the lifespan of baling wire, choose a wire that is appropriate for your storage conditions.

For bales that will be stored briefly, regular baling wire or black annealed wire are the best choices. Black annealed wire is coated in wax or oil, which endows it with moderate resistance to rust and corrosion. Black annealed wire will rust if used outdoors or exposed to damp conditions.

For outdoor applications or long-term storage, galvanized wire is the best option. Galvanized wire is protected from rust and corrosion by a sacrificial layer of zinc, provided by the galvanization process. Galvanized wire can resist rust for between 20–50 years (often longer) depending on its galvanization class and the conditions it is exposed to. We provide both Class 1 and Class 3 galvanization on our wire products, with Class 3 Galvanization offering the highest level of rust and corrosion resistance.

Cost considerations

Baling wire costs can add up. Select the most economical option that satisfies load strength, baler, and storage requirements to keep baling wire costs low.

For bales stored in climate-controlled facilities or bales that only require short-term storage, bright (uncoated) double loop bale ties are both less expensive and more aesthetically pleasing than other options.

If you’re using an automatic baler, the elongation properties of black annealed wire should also be calculated. The annealing process improves a wire’s elongation (the percentage of a wire’s length it can be stretched without breaking). Calculate the elongation and load strength requirements of your operations and ensure you are using your baling wire as efficiently as possible to further minimize costs.

Some other ways to save on baling wire include:

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• Recycle used baler wire. Not only does this allow recyclers to double down on their commitment to the circular economy, but selling scrap baling wire can help offset operating costs.

• Buy in bulk. We offer competitive prices for bulk orders. If your baler is compatible, it is cheaper to buy stem wire in bulk than it is to buy an equivalent amount of box wire.