Recycling conveyors don’t fail because of bad maintenance.
They fail because the wrong belt was specified.
Recycling plants punish conveyor belts — abrasion, sharp edges, moisture, oils, glass, metal, mixed waste.
The “best” belt is the one that survives that reality.
Here’s a quick, practical guide to what actually works:
- Heavy-duty rubber belts
For abrasive, sharp and mixed materials
(Common in C&D, scrap metal and glass) - Steel-cord belts
For high loads, long distances and steep inclines
(Shredders, hammer-mill feeds, transfer conveyors) - Fabric-reinforced belts (EP / nylon)
For sorting lines and picking stations
(Cost-effective, easy to splice, reliable) - Modular plastic belts
For wet, washed or chemical-exposed material
(Plastics, bottle washing, curved conveyors) - Sidewall or cleated belts
For steep inclines and spillage control
(Balers, compact plant layouts, loose material)
Simple rule:
If the belt doesn’t match the material, incline and duty cycle — downtime is guaranteed.
We see it all the time.
Getting the belt right from day one saves money, time and a lot of unnecessary breakdowns.
Matt Wednesday
Conveyor spillage is rarely the problem people think it is.
Most sites treat spillage as a housekeeping issue.
In reality, it’s almost always a loading and control issue.
On most conveyors we see with persistent spillage, the root cause is one of three things:
- material entering the belt off-centre or too fast
- poor belt support and sealing through the loading zone
- inconsistent or surging feed
The belt ends up doing exactly what physics tells it to do — material bounces, rolls and escapes.
The fix usually isn’t complicated, but it has to be done in the right place:
- control material trajectory at the chute
- properly support the belt under the skirting
- use sealing systems designed for the duty
- stabilise the feed rate
Once those basics are right, spillage tends to disappear.
Not because it’s being cleaned more often —
but because it’s no longer being created.
That’s the difference between managing symptoms
and fixing the system.
