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Tool: published figures

Bulk density reference for recycling streams

Approximate bulk densities for cans, containers, glass, ash and shredder residue, each from a named source, for a first estimate of feed rate. Then weigh your own material: none of these figures is a layer on your belt.

By [author name, role and employer] · Technical review by [reviewer name, role and employer] · Updated

  • Aluminum and non-ferrous
  • Ferrous
  • Fiber
  • Glass
  • Film
  • Other and residue

1Published bulk densities

Every figure is approximate and comes from the source on its row. They describe material in bulk, as collected or as traded. None is the density of a single layer on a separator belt.

Loose and shredded material (approximate published figures, not measurements of your material)
MaterialConditionlb/ft³kg/m³Source
Aluminum cansLoose, in a container: uncompacted whole cans at the low end, crushed and whole cans mixed at the high end. These are EPA's cubic-yard figures; fully crushed cans run higher. A 1997 MRF process model assumed 2.36 lb/ft³ for cans in a bin.about 1.7 to 3.4about 27 to 54US EPA, 2016 and 2006; RTI, 1997 (1, 2, 8)
Aluminum cans, shredded (ReMA grade Talcred)Shredded. A grade limit for traded product, so a target rather than a measurement. The kg/m³ values are as ReMA prints them.12 to 17193 to 273ReMA, 2026 (3)
Eddy current aluminum and mixed non-ferrous from electronics recycling (ReMA grades EM1 and EM2)Shredded, after eddy current separation. A grade minimum, subject to the buyer's terms.at least 30at least about 480ReMA, 2026 (3)
Mixed containers, no paperLoose, as collected. Cans and plastic without glass at the low end; plastic, glass and metal containers together at the high end.about 1.2 to 6.6about 19 to 105US EPA, 2016 and 2006 (1, 2)
Single-stream recyclablesInput to central sorting plants, as a peer-reviewed review reports it.about 9 to 16150 to 250Cimpan et al., 2015 (4)
Lightweight packaging, GermanySeparately collected packaging, input to sorting plants, from the same review.about 3about 50Cimpan et al., 2015 (4)
Glass bottles, wholeLoose, whole bottles.about 14 to 37about 230 to 590US EPA, 2016 and 2006 (1, 2)
Glass culletSemi-crushed, crushed or broken. FHWA gives about 70 lb/ft³ (1,120 kg/m³) for crushed waste glass.about 52 to 100about 830 to 1,600US EPA, 2006; US FHWA, 1997 to 1998 (2, 5)
Incinerator bottom ash, municipal wasteUnit weight as FHWA reports it. Moisture runs 22 to 66% of dry weight across two data sets, and density varies with it. Bottom and fly ash combined: 62 to 73 lb/ft³ (990 to 1,170 kg/m³).60 to 86960 to 1,400US FHWA, 1997 to 1998 (5)
Auto shredder residueCompiled from several studies. Moisture 0.8 to 27% by weight; water is often added during shredding against fire.about 18 to 35283 to 563Helsinki University of Technology, 2003 (6)
Mixed C&D debris, not finesAs delivered: the average of 171 loads measured in Florida. A single figure, not a range.about 18about 290Florida DEP and University of Florida (7)

Source numbers refer to the list at the end of this page. Where a source gives only one unit, the conversion is ours and rounded: lb/yd³ ÷ 27 = lb/ft³, and lb/ft³ × 16.02 = kg/m³. One row of the 2006 EPA table, for crushed glass, conflicts with the others and is left out.

Before you use a figure

Use a figure from this table for a first estimate in the calculator. For an RFQ, weigh your own material as it reaches the belt, and say how you measured it.

2Bales, biscuits and briquettes

Compressed cans are many times denser than loose ones. These figures are for storing, hauling and selling the product, not for material on a belt.

Compressed aluminum cans (approximate; for storage and shipping, not for a belt)
MaterialConditionlb/ft³kg/m³Source
Aluminum cans, baledBales, from a compilation in EPA's 2016 memorandum.about 9 to 19about 150 to 300US EPA, 2016 (1)
Baled cans, ReMA grade TaldonBales of at least 30 ft³: 14 to 17 lb/ft³ for unflattened cans, up to 22 lb/ft³ for flattened.14 to 22225 to 353ReMA, 2026 (3)
Densified biscuits, ReMA grade TaldackBiscuits.35 to 50562 to 802ReMA, 2026 (3)
Briquettes, ReMA grade TaldorkBriquettes.at least 50at least 800ReMA, 2026 (3)

The ReMA figures are grade limits for traded product, and their kg/m³ values are as ReMA prints them. Ask your buyer for its written specification.

3Streams with no figure yet

We found no reliable published figure for these streams. Each stays open until a source or a measurement fills it.

Gaps (no figure is given until one is sourced)
StreamWhat the sources sayWhat would fill it
ZorbaReMA's Zorba grade states no density. The EM1 and EM2 minimum above comes from electronics recycling, a different stream, so it is not a stand-in (3).[a measured bulk density for Zorba, by size fraction, with its source]
MRF residueNo published figure found. A figure for mixed household waste is not a stand-in.[a published or measured density for MRF residue, with its source]
Shredded aluminum other than cansThe 2006 EPA table lists “aluminum scrap”, whole and cubed, without saying what the scrap is, so it is not used here (2).[a sourced density for shredded aluminum scrap other than cans]
C&D finesTwo published figures conflict: 929 lb/yd³ (about 34 lb/ft³) for “dirt and sand” and 2,700 lb/yd³ (100 lb/ft³) for “fines, loose”, nearly three times as much (1, 2).[a measured density for C&D fines, with how it was measured]

Figures measured on working lines would add to all of these. [measured bulk densities from jobs by Remcon Equipment, the publisher's affiliate, if its shop holds any: cans on an infeed, cullet, container lines or bottom ash]

4How density sets feed rate

A belt carries a volume of material. A feed rate is a weight per hour. Bulk density turns one into the other.

Eriez prints the arithmetic in its feeder and separator manuals, in this form. Source: Eriez, SM-780-1 separator manual, 2010, and VM-3660C feeder manual, 2009 (9, 10).

Feed rateQ (US tons/h) = W (in) × d (in) × D (lb/ft³) × v (ft/min) ÷ 4,800
Rearranged for depthd (in) = 4,800 × Q ÷ (W × D × v)

W is the width the material spreads across, d its depth, D its bulk density and v its speed. The belt feed-rate calculator does the same sum: its constants 144, 60 and 2,000 come to the same 4,800.

Depth of loose cans for 5 US tons/h (hypothetical inputs)
StepArithmeticResult
InputsQ = 5 US tons/h, W = 48 in, D = 2.4 lb/ft³, v = 200 ft/min
4,800 × Q4,800 × 524,000
W × D × v48 × 2.4 × 20023,040
Depth, d24,000 ÷ 23,040about 1.0 in

2.4 lb/ft³ is the 2006 EPA figure for whole cans (2). The width, speed and tonnage are chosen for easy arithmetic; they are not typical values for any line.

At the same width, speed and tonnage, a material twice as dense needs half the depth. One half as dense needs twice the depth.

Treat the result as an illustration, not a design depth. A loose pile in a container is not a single layer on a belt.

Depth decides whether the separator sees one layer. Goudsmit defines a single layer as about as thick as the largest piece, with no piece resting on another. Source: Goudsmit Magnetics, EddyFines product page, undated (12).

Industrial Magnetics' service manual says a deeper burden can lower both recovery and purity at an eddy current separator. Source: Industrial Magnetics, Inc., eddy current separator service manual, undated (11).

Upstream, Eriez's European company lists bulk density among the inputs for sizing an overhead magnet, and says a deeper burden needs a stronger field. Source: Eriez Magnetics Europe, suspended electromagnet brochure SB320UK7, undated (13).

At the feeder, density that changes from load to load is a problem in itself. A trade-press article on vibratory tray feeders names changes in bulk density or moisture as one reason a feeder underperforms. Source: J. Mitchell, Powder and Bulk Engineering, undated (14).

So state bulk density in your RFQ as the material is fed, and say how you measured it.

Open the feed-rate calculator Build an RFQ

Who publishes this. Recyclers Guide is published by [LLC name], an affiliate of Remcon Equipment, Inc. Remcon designs and builds conveyors and eddy current separator systems around rotors or complete separators made by others, builds overhead magnet units, magnetic head pulleys and trommels, resells screens and feeders, and integrates equipment discussed on this site.

5Weigh your own material

Your own material gives the figure that counts. Measuring it takes a container of known volume, a scale and several loads.

  1. Take the sample where material reaches the belt you are sizing, after any screen or magnet upstream.
  2. Let it fall loosely into the container. Level the surface without pressing it down.
  3. Weigh it, subtract the empty container's weight, and divide by the container's volume.
  4. Repeat on several loads, and in wet and dry weather. Moisture changes the weight: FHWA reports bottom ash at 22 to 66% moisture by dry weight. Source: US FHWA, FHWA-RD-97-148, 1997 to 1998 (5).
  5. Write down how you measured it, and put the figure and the method in your RFQ.

6Questions

What is the bulk density of aluminum cans?

US EPA volume-to-weight tables from 2016 and 2006 put loose cans at about 1.7 to 3.4 lb/ft³ (about 27 to 54 kg/m³), from uncompacted whole cans to a mix of crushed and whole. Those are EPA's cubic-yard figures; fully crushed cans run higher. ReMA's July 2026 specifications set 12 to 17 lb/ft³ for shredded cans (Talcred) and 14 to 17 lb/ft³ for bales of unflattened cans (Taldon), up to 22 lb/ft³ if the cans are flattened. Weigh your own cans the way they reach the belt. Sources: US EPA, Volume-to-Weight Conversion Factors, 2016 and 2006; ReMA, July 2026.

What is the bulk density of glass cullet?

About 52 to 100 lb/ft³ (about 830 to 1,600 kg/m³) for semi-crushed, crushed and broken glass, in the US EPA's 2006 conversion table. The Federal Highway Administration gives about 70 lb/ft³ (1,120 kg/m³) for crushed waste glass. Whole bottles, loose, are much lighter: about 14 to 37 lb/ft³ in EPA tables. Sources: US EPA, 2016 and 2006; US FHWA, FHWA-RD-97-148.

Why does bulk density matter for a separator's feed rate?

A belt carries volume, but feed rates are set in tons per hour, and bulk density converts one into the other. For the same tonnage on the same belt at the same speed, a lighter material needs a deeper layer. Industrial Magnetics' eddy current separator service manual says a deeper layer can lower both recovery and purity.

Can I use a bale density in the feed-rate calculator?

No. A bale, biscuit or briquette is compressed product for storage and shipping. Its density says nothing about loose material on a belt. Use a loose figure from the table for a first estimate, then weigh your own material.

How do I measure the bulk density of my own material?

Let a sample fall loosely into a container of known volume, level it without pressing it down, and weigh it. Subtract the empty container's weight and divide by the volume. Repeat on several loads and in wet and dry weather, and say in your RFQ how you measured it.

7Sources

  1. US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery. Volume-to-Weight Conversion Factors (memorandum). April 2016. Government; compiles figures from other organizations. https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2016-04/documents/volume_to_weight_conversion_factors_memorandum_04192016_508fnl.pdf. Read 2026-10-06.
  2. US Environmental Protection Agency. Standard Volume-to-Weight Conversion Factors. Table last updated February 28, 2006. Government; compiles figures from other organizations. https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2016-03/documents/conversions.pdf. Read 2026-10-06.
  3. Recycled Materials Association (ReMA). ReMA's ISRI Specifications. July 2026. Industry association. https://www.isrispecs.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/2026-July-ReMA_ISRI_Specifications.pdf. Read 2026-10-06.
  4. Cimpan, C., Maul, A., Jansen, M., Pretz, T. and Wenzel, H. Central sorting and recovery of MSW recyclable materials: a review. Journal of Environmental Management 156, pages 181 to 199. 2015. Peer-reviewed; read in Cimpan's 2016 PhD thesis, University of Southern Denmark. https://findresearcher.sdu.dk/ws/files/173410165/Ciprian_Cimpan_2016_PhD_Thesis_1_.pdf. Read 2026-10-06.
  5. US Federal Highway Administration. FHWA-RD-97-148: municipal solid waste combustor ash, material description; waste glass, material description and granular base. 1997 to 1998. Government. https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/pavements/97148/033.cfm; https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/structures/97148/wg1.cfm; https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/structures/97148/wg3.cfm. Read 2026-10-06.
  6. Zevenhoven, R. and Saeed, L. Automotive shredder residue (ASR) and compact disc (CD) waste. Helsinki University of Technology, report TKK-ENY-14. April 2003. Academic report; compiles several studies. https://users.abo.fi/rzevenho/tkk-eny-14.pdf. Read 2026-10-06.
  7. Florida Department of Environmental Protection and University of Florida. Converting C&D Debris from Volume to Weight: A Fact Sheet for C&D Debris Facility Operators. Undated, about 2000. Government. https://floridadep.gov/sites/default/files/Converting%20C&D%20Debris%20from%20Volume%20to%20Weight%20A%20Fact%20Sheet%20for%20C&D%20Debris%20Facility%20Operators.pdf. Read 2026-10-06.
  8. RTI and North Carolina State University (Nishtala, S. and Solano-Mora, E.). Description of the Material Recovery Facilities Process Model. October 1, 1997. Government-funded model documentation; its densities are assumed defaults, not measurements. https://mswdst.rti.org/docs/MRF_Model_OCR.pdf. Read 2026-10-06.
  9. Eriez. SM-780-1, Eddy Current Separator, REA Cartridge Design: installation, operation and maintenance manual. 2010. Manufacturer. https://www.eriez.com/Documents/Literature/IOMs/Metals-Recycling/SM-780-1-Eriez-Eddy-Current-Separator-REA-Cartridge-Design-IOM.pdf. Read 2026-10-06.
  10. Eriez. VM-3660C, Brute Force Feeder: installation, operation and maintenance manual. 2009. Manufacturer. https://eriez.com/Documents/Literature/IOMs/Vibratory-Feeders-and-Conveyors/VM-3660-Eriez-Brute-Force-Feeder-IOM.pdf. Read 2026-10-06.
  11. Industrial Magnetics, Inc. Eddy Current Separator Service Manual, endless belt. Undated. Manufacturer. https://assets.magnetics.com/assets/files/manuals/900505_ECS_Service_Manual_Endless_Belt.pdf. Read 2026-10-06. Industrial Magnetics supplies eddy current separators and magnets to Remcon Equipment, the publisher's affiliate.
  12. Goudsmit Magnetics. EddyFines eddy current separators, product page. Undated. Manufacturer. https://www.goudsmitmagnetics.com/en-us/products/belt-conveyor-magnetic-separators/eddyfines-eddy-current-separators. Read 2026-10-06.
  13. Eriez Magnetics Europe. Suspended electromagnet brochure, SB320UK7. Undated. Manufacturer. https://www.eriez.com/Documents/Literature/Brochures/Products/Magnetic-Separation/SB-320-UK-Eriez-Europe-Suspended-Electromagnet.pdf. Read 2026-10-06.
  14. Mitchell, J. Vibratory tray feeders: ten common problems. Powder and Bulk Engineering. Undated. Trade press; the author is from Eriez. https://www.eriez.com/Documents/PDFs/VibratoryTrayFeedersPBE1207.pdf. Read 2026-10-06.

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