Baler & Compactor Hire vs Buy: Pros and Cons for UK Businesses

If your company generates a significant amount of cardboard waste, you may benefit from a baler or compactor to streamline your waste management.

Balers and compactors can help your business make significant cost savings. But should you buy your equipment outright or consider rental?

Our guide is here to explore the pros and cons of each investment method.

Why should you be baling and compacting your waste?

Before we examine the rental vs. purchasing dilemma more closely, it’s worth considering the benefits of streamlining your waste management.

Baling or compacting your waste for recycling isn’t just environmentally friendly; it's also more efficient. It reduces volume and minimises collections, cutting emissions and transport costs.

Additionally, turning piles of cardboard and other waste into neat bales takes up less space on site, preventing accidents and minimising fire risks.

The benefits of baler and compactor hire

Using a baler or compactor to compress your cardboard waste can reduce costs, keep your site safer and offer the possibility of turning a liability into a valuable revenue stream.

Baler hire offers some excellent benefits, regardless of your organisation's recycling needs.

Lower upfront cost

Renting a baler can be a cost-effective way to enjoy all the benefits of recycling for your business. With a bespoke rental contract from phs Wastekit, you can avoid the higher upfront costs of purchasing outright while meeting your current and future needs.

Flexibility

Equipment rental provides access to up-to-date machinery, featuring the latest technology for optimal performance. Even better, it allows you to take a dynamic approach to scaling equipment up or down to suit specific projects, thus achieving efficiency and cost savings.

Try before you buy

Renting your recycling equipment is the ideal way to assess whether a baler or compactor is right for your business.

At phs Wastekit, you can try before you buy. Are you unsure whether our horizontal balers have the throughput you need, or if our vertical balers better suit your requirements? Contact us to arrange a trial period before you commit to a rental contract.

Improved cash flow

Waste equipment rental helps you maintain a positive cash flow. You’ll be putting more money back into your business and delivering early cost savings that let you improve your core operations.

When is buying waste management equipment beneficial?

Waste equipment rental helps you maintain a positive cash flow. You’ll be putting more money back into your business and delivering early cost savings that let you improve your core operations.

Long-term savings

The higher upfront costs of purchasing can impact your short-term cash flow. But over time, your cost per unit for waste disposal decreases, resulting in significant long-term savings.

Buying your baler or compactor outright can open up long-term revenue streams. Selling your recycled waste improves your ROI and impacts the sustainability of your business, reducing your landfill tax.

Asset ownership

Asset ownership delivers security and peace of mind for your business. For organisations producing steady and consistent waste streams, owning your balers or compactors delivers consistency and independence as your needs are unlikely to change.

Customisation

Owning your assets outright also offers operational benefits. Your balers or compactors can be customised to meet your unique operational needs. Customisation reduces operating costs, gives your business control, and leads to long-term stability.

Hire vs buy checklist: How to make your decision

How much waste does your business produce? If you generate large volumes of waste, buying your equipment could offer better ROI in the long run.
How frequently will you use a baler or compactor? Hiring is a cost-effective choice if you only need occasional baling or compacting. If it’s a daily task, ownership may be a better solution.
Do you deal with a consistent volume of waste? If your business's waste management needs remain unchanged, it’s worth purchasing a baler or compactor and selling your bales for a profit.
Do you have the upfront funds to purchase? Before making a decision, conduct a cost-benefit analysis that compares the higher upfront costs of buying with the long-term savings.
Do you need any custom features? What are the total costs of ownership? Consider whether the total costs of ownership align with your business needs, both in the short term and the long term.

Waste equipment solutions from phs Wastekit

At phs Wastekit, we’re leading suppliers of balers, compactors and consumables to meet your waste management needs.

If managing your cash flow is your top priority, consider our bespoke equipment rental solutions. Paired with one of our service and maintenance contracts for peace of mind, hiring a baler or compactor is a great way to achieve cost savings for your business quickly.

Get in touch to see how we can help streamline your waste management processes.