The recycling and waste management industry is more than ever at the center of global transformation: circular economy strategies, CO₂ reduction targets, material efficiency, and regulatory frameworks are driving the sector forward at high speed. At the same time, requirements for process reliability, automation, and energy efficiency continue to increase. Reliability, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability have become defining factors in the international waste and recycling industry.
Austropressen are engineered to meet these requirements through robust mechanical design, high pressing forces, and advanced automation solutions. The balers are designed for continuous industrial operation, ensuring maximum system availability while processing heterogeneous input materials into high-density, dimensionally stable bales.
Energy performance is a core engineering parameter. Optimized hydraulic equipment, efficient drive technology, and intelligent control strategies contribute to reduced specific energy consumption per ton processed. This supports both operating cost reduction and sustainability targets while improving the overall carbon footprint of the recycling process.
With Austropressen, Roither Maschinenbau GmbH, based in Seewalchen, Austria, manufactures customized solutions for waste management companies, industry, and retail. 100% Made in Austria and serving customers in around 100 countries worldwide. As a family-owned company with highly skilled and experienced employees, Roither combines innovative resource management with profound technical know-how, strong innovative capacity, and reliable service – delivering tailored solutions for every application and every business.
Austropressen in Action: Field-Proven Success Stories
The future of recycling and resource management requires expertise, commitment, and trust.
Customized implementation and precise system coordination are decisive factors for achieving optimal results within the material cycle. Current projects for Recon-T GmbH, Germany, and Cleanaway GmbH, Austria, clearly demonstrate how technical expertise and structured project planning translate into measurable success in the recycling market. They also underline the critical importance of trust and transparency in long-term partnerships.
The German recycling expert Recon-T GmbH offers a wide range of recycling services, including RDF (refuse-derived fuel) production.
Over the past years, several projects were carried out in close coordination with Recon-T’s management, leading to various customer-specific adaptations of Austropressen baling systems. These projects highlight the crucial role of precise specifications, customized configurations, and coordinated operations in ensuring optimal on-site performance of recycling processes.
The following Austropressen balers were recently put into operation at Recon-T sites:
- APK-ES105 (pressing force 1,150 kN, drive 2×55 kW) at the Berlin site for processing cardboard, film, and paper into 1,100 x 1,100mm bales
- APK-ES105 (pressing force 1,150 kN) and APK-ES90 (pressing force 950 kN) at logistics centers for the food retail sector
- an additional APK-ES90 at the company’s facility in Poland.
A major project is the fully integrated plant at Recon-T’s site in Schwedt/Oder, including material preparation and bale wrapping. The facility handles large-scale commercial waste collection, household-level waste collection, and paper sorting.
The task:
Various materials – cardboard, paper, film, PET, different plastics, and household waste – are to be pre-processed on-site and compacted into bales. Selected waste streams are to be shredded using a mobile shredder and processed into refuse-derived fuels (RDF). To ensure the stability of the RDF bales, an automatic film-wrapping system is provided. The RDF is to be shredded into two different particle sizes, with particular challenges arising from the processing of RDF 30 (particle size < 30 mm).
The solution:
Austropressen precisely designed and engineered the complete processing plant, including material preparation, compaction, bale wrapping, and conveyor technology. All components were smoothly integrated to ensure best operational performance on site.
At the core of the installation is the fully automatic Austropressen APK‑ES135 channel baling press. This high‑performance baler delivers robust pressing power of up to 1,480 kN, a specific pressing force of 112 N/cm², a theoretical throughput of 504 m³/h, with a filling volume of 2.80 m³.
Customer experience:
“The high throughput performance, fast processing, and the versatile binding system for wire or plastic provide us with maximum flexibility in daily operations. The robust, durable design, reliable support, and rapid availability of spare parts make Austropressen the ideal partner for us in industrial applications,” confirms Recon‑T Managing Director Mario Krüger.
Technical highlights and extras:
- A highly flexible 5-fold Drillfix 2.0 binding system, which can be applied in horizontal, vertical, or cross configurations depending on material requirements.
- The binding system can be equipped with either steel wire or plastic strapping (suitable for RDF/EBS materials), allowing versatile use across different waste types.
- Sliding shields of the binding slots help prevent contamination from entering the binding mechanism, particularly when processing RDF/EBS.
- Replaceable side walls made of wear‑resistant HARDOX steel extend the overall service life of the baler by reducing abrasion and wear in high‑stress areas.
- Additional extras include monitoring sensors in the hopper, Oil care system unit, Energy meter for precise measurement, Remote maintenance for fast diagnostics and support.
The facts:
Bale weights of up to 1,380 kg were achieved with RDF 30 material (a shredded film mixture with particle size < 30 mm) in a bale format of 1100 x 1100 x 1200 mm. For mixed waste, a real throughput rate of 45 t/h was reached, with bale weights
The introduction of Austria’s single‑use deposit system for cans and PET bottles creates new demands on compaction technology in logistics centers and retail locations. In addition to bale quality, process reliability, defined technical standards, and high system availability are also critical. Austropressen provides efficient compaction solutions for single‑use deposit materials in the retail and logistics sector.
The central body EWP Recycling Pfand Österreich defined technical criteria for bale quality, handling, and compaction performance. Based on these specifications, optimal Austropressen models with suitable special equipment were selected and commissioned at central warehouses across Austria.
- 6 units of APK‑E55 with 550 kN pressing force
- 5 units of APK‑ES60 with 640 kN pressing force
- All equipped with 5‑fold vertical tying
- Special equipment for optimal PET handling
- 1000 mm wide belt conveyors
For the long‑standing customer Cleanaway GmbH, speed was a key priority. Within just a few weeks, six fully automatic Austropressen APK channel balers, including integrated conveyor systems, were successfully commissioned at various Cleanaway sites. Two of these baling systems are now in operation at the Maria Saal location.
Austrian waste management specialist Cleanaway GmbH places a strong emphasis on performance and reliability at its Maria Saal site in Carinthia.
At its central warehouse for a major Austrian grocery retailer in Maria Saal, Austrian waste management specialist Cleanaway GmbH ensures smooth waste logistics and the efficient compaction of single‑use deposit bottles and cans.
The task:
Top priority was “reliability without downtime,” because on‑site service quality and customer satisfaction are decisive.
Cleanaway Managing Director Manuel Praxmarer explains: “Our collaboration with Austropressen has been built on trust, mutual respect, and consistently high-quality standards for decades. Austropressen systems have been in operation with us for around 30 years, across two generations. Currently, about 15 APK presses are in use. Even a machine from 1998 was in reliable operation until recently and was only replaced now with a new unit. This durability and operational reliability are crucial factors for us in daily logistics operations.”
The solution:
Two Austropressen APK‑E55 channel balers with 45 kW motors were installed, complete with conveyor belts and special equipment optimized for handling PET and cans. The balers feature an automatic free‑pressing device to help reduce material jams, extended and shielded binding slots to prevent contamination during pressing, and clearance fingers at the binding system to avoid blockages. These design features, combined with wear‑resistant components such as HARDOX base and side plates, ensure trouble‑free operation, reduce maintenance requirements, and extend the overall service life.
The requirements from EWP Recycling Pfand Österreich:
The specified bale weight of 350 kg in a bale size of 1100×750x1200 mm for mixed cans and PET is easily achieved with Austropressen balers. Higher bale weights are not desired due to downstream processing requirements. A throughput of around 20 t per truck supports efficient truck utilisation and reduced CO₂ emissions. All of these targets can be reached without difficulty using Austropressen channel baling presses — in fact, the APK balers routinely deliver significantly higher performance.
Austropressen at IFAT 2026 in Munich:
Vision, Innovation & Solutions
At IFAT Munich 2026, the world’s leading trade exhibition for environmental technologies, the entire management and sales team of Roither Maschinenbau GmbH, together with its world‑sales partners, will showcase the powerful Austropressen portfolio on a 165 m² exhibition space.
On display will be:
• A fully automatic channel baling press from the expert series – APK‑ES
• The complete series of vertical balers in the Plug & Bale Area – Ready‑Steady‑Bale!
• Additional machines from the extensive product range, including balers for cans, drums, and general waste
Personal consultation, information, and exchange will take place at Stand B5/550 and B5/551. The Austropressen team looks forward to your visit!