A practical comparison for recycling companies and WtE facilities
Do you use steel wire to tie bales? Switching to PlasLOC+ can significantly reduce the CO₂ impact of your baling wire.
With an annual consumption of 10,000 kg of steel wire, PlasLOC+ can save an estimated 5.1 to 20.1 tonnes of CO₂ per year. The exact saving depends on the type of steel wire you currently use, your wire consumption, bale weight and baler settings.
This range is important. Steel wire can be produced in different ways. Steel from the traditional BOF route has a higher CO₂ impact than steel from the EAF route, where more scrap and electricity are used.
In this blog, we explain how the calculation works, why PlasLOC+ requires less material weight and when this plastic baling wire can be a suitable replacement for steel wire.
Why PlasLOC+ requires less material weight
Comparing one kilogram of steel wire with one kilogram of plastic wire does not give an accurate picture.
PlasLOC+ is made from 100% recycled PET. The material is lighter than steel. That means you get more metres of wire from one kilogram of material.
According to the current product information, PlasLOC+ provides approximately 3 to 4 times more metres per kilogram than steel wire. So you do not simply replace 1,000 kg of steel wire with 1,000 kg of PlasLOC+.
The CO₂ saving comes from two factors:
PlasLOC+ is made from recycled PET.
Less material weight is needed for the same number of wire metres.
For companies with a high annual consumption of baling wire, this difference quickly becomes significant.
Which CO₂ values do we use?
For this comparison, we use the values from the PlasLOC+ documentation.
Material | CO₂ emissions per tonne of material |
|---|---|
Steel wire via BOF route | ± 2,200 kg CO₂ per tonne |
Steel wire via EAF route | ± 700 kg CO₂ per tonne |
PlasLOC+ from recycled PET | ± 700 kg CO₂ per tonne |
BOF stands for Basic Oxygen Furnace. This is the traditional steelmaking route based on iron ore. This route usually has a higher CO₂ impact.
EAF stands for Electric Arc Furnace. This route uses more scrap and electricity. It usually has a lower CO₂ impact.
Because it is not always clear which route was used to produce the steel wire currently in use, we calculate both scenarios. This gives a realistic range.
Example: 10,000 kg of steel wire per year
Suppose you use 10,000 kg of steel wire per year for your balers.
Because PlasLOC+ offers 3 to 4 times more metres per kilogram, we use the following practical replacement in this example:
10,000 kg of steel wire → 2,700 kg of PlasLOC+
This is a calculation example. The exact ratio depends on your application, bale weight, number of wires per bale and machine settings.
Scenario 1: replacing BOF steel wire
For BOF steel wire, we calculate with 2.2 kg CO₂ per kg of steel.
Steel wire:
10,000 kg × 2.2 kg CO₂ = 22,000 kg CO₂
PlasLOC+:
2,700 kg × 0.7 kg CO₂ = 1,890 kg CO₂
Estimated saving:
22,000 - 1,890 = 20,110 kg CO₂ per year
That equals a reduction of approximately 91%.
Scenario 2: replacing EAF steel wire
For EAF steel wire, we calculate with 0.7 kg CO₂ per kg of steel.
Steel wire:
10,000 kg × 0.7 kg CO₂ = 7,000 kg CO₂
PlasLOC+:
2,700 kg × 0.7 kg CO₂ = 1,890 kg CO₂
Estimated saving:
7,000 - 1,890 = 5,110 kg CO₂ per year
That equals a reduction of approximately 73%.
What does this mean at a higher annual consumption?
At 10,000 kg of steel wire per year, the estimated saving is between 5.1 and 20.1 tonnes of CO₂ per year. If you use more steel wire, the saving increases.
Annual steel wire consumption | Saving vs EAF steel | Saving vs BOF steel |
|---|---|---|
10,000 kg | ± 5.1 tonnes CO₂ | ± 20.1 tonnes CO₂ |
25,000 kg | ± 12.8 tonnes CO₂ | ± 50.3 tonnes CO₂ |
50,000 kg | ± 25.6 tonnes CO₂ | ± 100.6 tonnes CO₂ |
These figures are calculation examples. For an accurate calculation, we look at your actual wire consumption, number of wires per bale, bale weight and baler settings.
Why the saving differs per situation
The CO₂ saving is not the same for every company. Several practical factors play a role.
Type of steel wire
Do you use steel wire with a high CO₂ impact, such as BOF steel? Then the saving is higher. Do you use steel wire from the EAF route? Then the saving is lower, but still clearly visible.
Annual consumption
The more steel wire you use, the greater the absolute difference in CO₂ emissions.
Machine settings
The ratio between steel wire and PlasLOC+ depends on your baler. Wire feed, tension, knotting and cutting settings all play a role.
Bale weight and material stream
Heavier or sharper material streams place different demands on the wire. That is why it is always important to assess whether PlasLOC+ technically fits the application.
More than CO₂ reduction
CO₂ matters. But in daily operations, safety, maintenance and reliability also count.
No corrosion
Steel wire can oxidise, especially when stored in damp conditions. PlasLOC+ is made from PET and is not affected by corrosion. This supports stable storage and consistent processing.
Cleaner in use
Steel wire can be oily or dirty. PlasLOC+ has a clean surface. This helps keep the work floor, hands, machines and material streams cleaner.
Safer for operators
Steel wire has sharp ends. These can cause cuts during handling or when removing the wire. PlasLOC+ has no sharp steel edges. That makes the material easier and safer to handle.
Less wear in the baler
Steel wire creates metal-to-metal contact in guiding, cutting and rotating parts. PlasLOC+ can reduce wear on these parts. This can help limit maintenance and downtime.
Less storage space per metre of wire
Because PlasLOC+ provides more metres per kilogram, you need less weight for the same wire length. This can reduce transport, handling and storage requirements.
Does PlasLOC+ fit existing balers?
In many cases, PlasLOC+ can be used on existing single ram balers. Major modifications are usually not required. Minor adjustments may be needed.
These may include:
wire feed;
tension;
knotting;
cutting setting;
bale weight;
number of wires per bale;
material stream.
That is why we always look at the combination of machine, material and required bale stability. A switch must not only work on paper. The wire must also run reliably in your process.
Which applications is PlasLOC+ suitable for?
PlasLOC+ is particularly relevant for recycling companies and waste processors using automatic balers.
Typical material streams include:
RDF;
SRF;
plastics;
paper and cardboard;
mixed recycling streams;
material streams for waste-to-energy.
In RDF, SRF and WtE processes, PlasLOC+ can be relevant because it replaces metal in the bale tie. Whether this delivers a benefit in your process depends on the installation, acceptance criteria and end processor requirements.
PlasLOC+ can help reduce metal-related process steps or residual streams, but the application must always be assessed per process.
When is steel wire still needed?
PlasLOC+ is not automatically the right choice for every baler or material stream.
Steel wire may still be needed for:
very heavy bales;
sharp or heavily contaminated material streams;
older knotting units that do not handle plastic profile wire well;
applications with specific tensile strength requirements;
end processors that only accept steel wire.
That is why every switch starts with a technical assessment. We look at your application, processing, machine and planning. Then we determine whether PlasLOC+ is suitable.
Conclusion: how much CO₂ can you save with PlasLOC+?
With an annual consumption of 10,000 kg of steel wire, PlasLOC+ can save an estimated:
± 5.1 tonnes of CO₂ per year compared with EAF steel wire;
± 20.1 tonnes of CO₂ per year compared with BOF steel wire.
At higher consumption levels, the saving increases. If you use 50,000 kg of steel wire per year, the saving can rise to approximately 25.6 to 100.6 tonnes of CO₂ per year, depending on the type of steel wire.
PlasLOC+ also offers practical advantages in your process. The material does not corrode, is clean to use, has no sharp steel ends and provides more metres per kilogram.
Want to know what PlasLOC+ can deliver in your situation? Send us your specifications. We will review your machine, wire consumption, bale weight and application. This gives you a clear view of the technical feasibility and possible CO₂ saving.
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