Everything You Need To Know To Find The Best 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

In the recycling industry, baling wire is used to bind recyclable materials such as plastic, cardboard, and aluminum. The best baling wire for each use case will depend on your baling machinery, the material being baled, and the environmental conditions.

Baling Wire Direct offers a range of high-quality baling wire products to meet your needs.

We will highlight our products and their most common uses.

Galvanized wire

Galvanized wire has a protective zinc coating applied by our hot-dip galvanization process. It is commonly used for:

• Non-baling applications such as fencing and vineyards and orchards as trellising. 
• Baling agricultural products such as hay and grass.
• Baling materials that will be stored outside.

Galvanization offers superior corrosion resistance, making it the go-to choice for harsh conditions and saline environments. We offer both Class 1 and Class 3 galvanization on our galvanized wire products. Class 3 features a zinc coating that is roughly three times thicker and lasts nearly four times as long as Class 1.

We sell galvanized wire by the stem in gauges 11–14.

High-tensile galvanized wire

High-tensile wire is used for both baling and non-baling applications. The increased tensile strength boosts pressure resistance and allows the wire to take on heavier loads. High-tensile wire is commonly used for:

• Large animal enclosures due to its improved strength and rust resistance.
• Binding dense materials such as rubber tires, HDPE plastics, and metal.
• Two-ram balers that exert more compressive force.
• Baling materials that will be stored outside.

We sell high-tensile wire by the stem in 11 and 12-gauge.

Black annealed wire

Our black annealed wire undergoes a heat treatment process called annealing. This softens the wire to improve its ductility and reduces brittleness, making it more workable. While it is less resistant to rust than our galvanized wire products, black annealed wire still offers some corrosion resistance. Black annealed wire is great for:

• High-volume auto-tie balers.
• Bales that will remain indoors.
• Baling materials that are prone to expansion.

We sell black annealed wire by the box and by the stem in 10–12 gauge.

Single loop bale ties

Single loop bale ties, or wire ties, are used in manual tie vertical and horizontal balers. They are suitable for:

• Fluctuating bale sizes.
• Lighter bales.
• Economical operations.

We sell both black annealed and galvanized single-loop bale ties in gauges 11 to 14.

Double loop bale ties

Double-loop bale ties are pre-cut to match specific bale sizes. They are ideal for:

• Uniform bale sizes.
• Heavier bales.
• Expansive materials.
• Bales stored outdoors (galvanized finish).
• Client-facing retail environments (bright finish).

We sell double loop bale ties in galvanized and bright (uncoated) finishes.

How to choose wire gauge size

Wire gauge helps determine tensile strength. Choose gauge size to suit the type of materials being baled (cardboard, plastic, metal), the baling equipment used, and the size and density of the bales.

To find the best wire for your baler, consult your baling machine manufacturer for specific details. Horizontal, vertical, and automatic balers commonly use the following wire gauges:

Horizontal balers

• Cardboard: 11–13 gauge
• Newspaper: 12–13 gauge
• Plastic shrink wrap: 11–12 gauge
• Other plastics: 11–12 gauge
• Foam: 11 gauge

Vertical balers

• Cardboard: 12–14 gauge
• Newspaper: 12–13 gauge
• Plastic shrink wrap: 13–14 gauge
• Other plastics: 12–13 gauge
• Foam: 11 gauge

Automatic wire baler

• Cardboard: 10–12 gauge
• Newspaper: 10–12 gauge
• Plastic shrink wrap: 10–12 gauge
• Other plastics: 10–12 gauge
• Foam: 10–11 gauge

Baling wire gauge chart

This chart displays wire gauges and diameters for our high-quality baling wire products.

Gauge

Regular galvanized wire (inches)

Hi-tensile galvanized wire (inches)

Black annealed wire (inches)

Single loop bale ties (inches)

Double loop bale ties

(inches)

9

NA

NA

NA

NA

0.148

Contact us to discuss your requirements of Cardboard Baling Wire. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

10

NA

NA

0.135

NA

0.135

11

0.117–0.119

0.119–0.121

0.120

0.117–0.119

0.120

12

0.102–0.104

0.104–0.106

0.105

0.102–0.104

0.105

12.5

NA

NA

NA

NA

0.099

13

0.088–0.090

NA

NA

0.088–0.090

NA

14

0.077–0.079

NA

NA

0.077–0.079

NA

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