How to Choose Cardboard Baling Wire?

19 May.,2025

 

What gauge wire is best for baling cardboard? - Baling Wire Direct

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:

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.

  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

What is Gauge in Baling Wire & How to Choose the Right Size

If you work in agriculture or the recycling industry, you understand the importance of baling wire. Baling wire allows you to move materials around easily. When you have the proper bale tie size, you save money, and it is less time wasted down the road. 

Wickwire Warehouse is a top baling wire supplier near PA that has been trusted for years to provide the right advice for choosing the right baling wire size. Before we discuss sizing, let’s go over another crucial part of baling wire: the gauge.

What is a Wire Gauge?

A wire gauge can be described as the thickness of a wire. It is crucial to pick the suitable baling wire with enough gauge to make sure it can handle whatever job it needs to do. Something that can be confusing for people is how gauge wires are labeled: the smaller the number, the thicker your wire will be. For example, a 12 gauge wire will be thicker and stronger than a 14 gauge wire. 

Why the Right Size Matters

When you are deciding on different types of baling gauges, it is crucial to consider the type of baler you are using, the material you are baling, and the various dimensions of your bales.  

Vertical and Horizontal

Depending on if you are using a vertical or horizontal baler, the kind of gauge you will need will vary. With vertical balers, you could require a gauge wire ranging from 12-14, while the baling wire gauge for a horizontal baler will be as thick as 11-13. 

Material

Materials like newspaper and corrugated cardboard that are usually packaged with a baler impact the bale tie size you need. The two examples we just mentioned can be fine with a thin 14 gauge wire, but other thicker materials will require a 10-11 gauge wire. 

Getting the Right Dimensions

This is an important step that shouldn’t be missed. It is essential to get the proper measurements on your baler to know the right length of your bale tie and the thickness of the gauge you will need. To get the proper dimensions for vertical balers, measure the width and height of your bale. For horizontal, measure width and length.

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