CalRecycle Expands Recycling
This T60XDRC was recently installed in Bakersfield, CA to manage high volumes of recyclables with ease.
In follow up to the updated 2022 “Bottle Bill”, which expanded the existing California Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act to include wine and distilled-spirits containers, California is taking a major step forward for circular-economy infrastructure. CalRecycle announced $131 million in grants to expand beverage-container redemption sites across California. The move will help more communities access hassle-free recycling options, strengthen redemption availability and support the broader goal of “reuse more, recycle more” for California’s resources.
At Harmony Enterprises, we’re proud to see such momentum in the “last-mile” of recycling collection — and even more proud that our equipment is playing a critical role behind the scenes. We manufacture a broad line of balers for plastics, non-ferrous metals, mixed recyclables, and more — but one machine in particular stands out in high-volume California operations: the T60XDRC Automatic Baler.
Why Harmony’s Full Baler Lineup Matters
Harmony’s baler portfolio spans vertical and horizontal machines, liquid-extraction balers, and more. From small redemption centers to large plastic-processing plants and manufacturing by-product streams, our machines are engineered to match the unique demands of each operation. For example, many plants must efficiently handle PET bottles, HDPE jugs, metal cans, or film plastics — each with its own density, handling, and downstream value challenges.
This breadth means that when a facility is scaling up (for example in response to grant-program funding like California’s), we’re ready with equipment that delivers the right footprint, throughput, bale size, and downstream value.
Spotlight on the T60XDRC: Built for high-volume, high-value recycling
When recyclers in California, and beyond, demand dense “mill-sized” bales that ship clean and move easily, the T60XDRC is their go-to. Key features and benefits include:
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Automatic conveyor feed: With a 36″ or 48″ rear hopper-conveyor system, the T60XDRC supports continuous loading and cycles automatically until the bale is complete.
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High compaction, dense output: The machine delivers up to ~235,620 lbs. of ram force on a 30” × 60” bale footprint (up to 48” high) — producing very dense bales ideal for high-value markets.
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Fast cycle and efficient footprint: With a 30-second no-load cycle time and requiring only ~190 square feet of operating area, the T60XDRC offers high throughput without massively expanding your footprint.
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Versatile material handling: It’s built to bale a wide array of commodities including PET, HDPE, aluminum cans, steel cans, milk jugs, textiles, even extruded aluminum and siding. This versatility suits plastic and mixed-streams perfectly.
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Made in the U.S.A. and built for longevity: As a Minnesota-based manufacturer, Harmony emphasizes quality, serviceability, parts support, and long-term reliability — all key for operations scaling under programs like California’s redemption expansion.
Why California Recyclers Choose The T60XDRC
These twin T60XDRCs handling huge amounts of plastic at this Modesto recycling center!
With the CalRecycle grant program expected to ramp up container collection sites, redemption centers and recyclers in California are increasingly focused on:
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Processing higher volumes of mixed containers with minimal downtime.
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Producing bales that meet buyer requirements (dense, uniform, minimal contamination, ready to ship).
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Optimizing shipping and handling — every extra pound of density, every truck-load maximized reduces cost.
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Reducing labor and pre-conditioning — fewer manual steps, conveyor feed handles bulk loading.
The T60XDRC fits all of these demands perfectly. It enables facilities to scale with minimal compromise and produce high-value output that flows into downstream recycling markets. Because of that, it is increasingly preferred — and often specified — by California recyclers who understand the value of “right-sized” bale output.
What This Means For The Future
As California invests in thousands of new collection and redemption sites, the “upstream” side of recycling — sorting, baling, shipping — must keep pace. Equipment like the T60XDRC will become ever more critical for converting abundant incoming material into efficient, exportable bale loads.
For operations currently evaluating their equipment strategy, a few key take-aways:
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Ensure your baler can handle material diversity and volume growth — choosing a model built for high throughput avoids future bottlenecks.
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Prioritize bale density and size standardization — buyers increasingly pay for uniformity and minimal processing downstream.
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Don’t overlook total cost of operation — footprint, labor, maintenance, throughput, shipping costs all factor in.
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Choose a manufacturer with a service and parts network — scaling in California means you’ll need uptime, not just specs.
Talk With Harmony Today!
As we applaud CalRecycle’s latest move to expand recycling, making redemption easier for Californians, we at Harmony Enterprises are ready to support the next wave of recycling infrastructure that will take material from collection to bale to market. The T60XDRC stands at the heart of that journey — turn a stream of containers into dense, mill-ready bales with efficiency, reliability and flexibility.
If you’d like to learn more about the T60XDRC or talk through how it might fit into your operation (especially for California or multi-state scaling), we heartily welcome a conversation. Call us at (507) 886-6666 or fill out this simple form today!
