The market for waste compactors - Italy

1.1 Definition and presentation

Waste compactors are machines that are used to simplify waste management dynamics. There are different machines and these are chosen taking into consideration several factors such as, the type of waste, size, available space, and dynamics of work processes.

The most popular machines are:

-The waste baler: which is used to turn waste into bales thus facilitating the storage phase. The advantage of this machine is the fact that waste can be sorted immediately. There are both horizontal balers such as conveyor belts and vertical balers, which are more versatile and adaptable in space.

-The compactor: which is used to compress larger mixed waste usually from industrial activities or municipal waste.

Usually in large-scale companies that produce a large amount of waste, horizontal balers are used while smaller companies usually have a vertical baler to occupy less space.

As for the global waste compactor market, this was valued at $466 million in 2019 and is expected to reach $609 million by the year 2025 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.56 percent.

Regarding the Italian market, special attention is given to plastic compactors. In the year 2021, 27 million euros have been allocated through the "Plastic Eater" decree to curb plastic production through the use of eco-compactors. In this case we are referring to a machine that is used for the separate collection of Pet bottles. Many Italians also use small compactors directly at home so that they can reduce the space of waste and be able to manage it better. These types of compactors are easily found in home stores or online.