"Of all the things I have to worry about, garbage should be the last," says Thomas Cetta, vp of operations and engineering for Louis Baldinger & Sons. "But it quickly becomes the first when it's lying all around." Baldinger has been producing quality handcrafted lighting fixtures since 1893, and includes some of the world's leading architects and designers among its clients. But with rising production has come unwelcome growth in waste.
Baldinger imports materials for use in its Queens, NY factory, so much of the trash comes from unneeded packing materials, as well as excess scraps from production. KenBay's Rotorpac, an industrial waste compactor with a footprint the size of a standard pallet (4 x 5 ft), is in operation continuously during the day to meet the company's trash disposal needs.
The Rotorpac is easy to install, does not require a full-time operator, and includes many safety features to prevent accidents. A heavy-duty polythene bag is placed inside the machine, but before the crushing process starts, a metal shield descends into it, protecting the bag from damage from sharp objects.
Wet and/or dry trash is deposited through the top of the machine, sealed, and then removed from the bottom after compaction. The continuous hydraulic compaction is different than traditional compactors, which generally spring back after crushing waste.
Although Baldinger still owns a baler, it is rarely used -- according to Cetta, balers are forever breaking down and never really do what they're supposed to do.
"The Rotorpac is the 21st century in trash management. It works so well, I never have to think about it," explains Cetta. "The balers are okay with clean refuse like cardboard, but once you get involved with the crazy stuff, they don't function well."
"There are a number of factors that have to be considered when using traditional compaction systems, such as labor costs to operate it -- which can run $20-$30 an hour in a union facility," says Stephanie Feldman, program director for NY Wa$teMatch, a program funded by the NYC Dept of Sanitation and Empire State Environmental Services Unit.
But by Baldinger's calculations, the company figures it saves between $200-$260 per month in dumpster fees, energy costs, and labor by using the Rotorpac. Its machine sits inside the building, about 12 ft from the manufacturing area. It is inconspicuous because it requires so little room -- another major consideration in New York City, where space is at a premium.
Waste: A Serious Business
Waste management is serious business in New York. According to the October 2004 Draft Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan, the city generates 14,000 tons of non-putrescible waste a day, which is placed in dumpsters for pickup by private hauling companies.
Cetta says that Baldinger now makes only one drop a day in the dumpster. In the past, employees would throw baled cardboard into the dumpster without making sure that the bottom was being filled. More often than not, the cardboard would catch on something and everything would accumulate at the top, with nothing on the bottom.
Research shows that up to 80% of a dumpster's load can be air, which means that for every dollar spent on dumpster service, 80 cents is literally being thrown away. With a 6:1 compaction rate, the Rotorpac effectively eliminates the inefficiency of dumpsters.
"It was a huge waste," recalls Cetta. "The Rotorpac takes the guesswork out of managing our trash, and the machine is almost foolproof."
Furthermore, with more compact trash, the need for additional dumpsters is greatly reduced -- an added benefit in areas where dumpster theft is a serious problem, notes Cetta.
"Everything that can move has to be chained down," he says. " If you put out five dumpsters without locking them in a group and then to the building, you'd be lucky to have one in the morning."
