Wood waste doesn’t come in neat shapes or convenient sizes and that’s exactly what Komar equipment is designed to handle, with reinforced steel, hardened components, and torque systems that keep going where others stall.
Perfect for pallets, crates, spools, and dimensional lumber. No need to pre-process or break things down. Just load it in and let the auger do the heavy lifting.
For large and bulky items these units deliver a pre-crush cycle to break down oversized items before compaction begins.
Clean wood waste refers to material that contains no other substances and consists only of pure, untreated wood. This type of wood is ideal for recycling and downstream applications because it does not introduce contaminants that complicate processing. Komar auger and pre-crusher compactors efficiently handle clean wood waste, preparing material for recycling or biomass use and reducing landfill volume.
Sources of Clean Wood
Uses of Clean Wood
Contaminated wood contains substances or attachments that prevent reuse in downstream applications and limit recycling potential. These contaminants increase processing complexity, disposal costs, and risk for equipment damage. Komar auger and pre-crusher compactors are engineered to handle wood waste streams including contaminated loads, minimizing loads and transport costs while reducing handling requirements.
Common contaminants include:
Disposal Options
Wood waste is heavy, irregular, and full of empty space. Pallets, crates, and spools may look solid, but much of their size comes from the gaps inside them. Wood doesn’t compress like cardboard, it doesn’t stack neatly, and it doesn’t move well through systems designed for lighter materials. That’s why Komar builds equipment specifically for wood with auger and pre-crusher compactors engineered to break down whole pallets, crates, and spools without manual disassembly.
Every facility handles wood waste differently: volume, contamination levels, space constraints, and processing needs vary. We’ll evaluate your specific situation and recommend equipment that actually solves your problem instead of creating new ones.
Whole pallets, crates, and spools go in. Komar systems reduce bulky wood waste by shredding, breaking, and/or shearing, then compact it directly into a container for efficient transport to secondary processing or landfill disposal. This process maximizes space and reduces hauling costs.
No more crowbars, no more wasted labor. Load entire pallets, crates, and spools straight into the auger or pre-crusher and let the machine do what it does best: turn tedious breakdowns into a straightforward task.
No more stacked pallets blocking fire lanes. Komar’s systems clear the clutter, giving you back your team’s workspace and making your safety protocols more than just wishful thinking.
Breaks down standard-sized pallets and crates with a single auger, ensuring smooth, efficient container loading.
Pre-shreds sheets and larger standard-sized pieces with a ripper shaft to eliminate bridging and reduce output particle size.
Processes high volumes quickly with dual pushing augers and a large discharge, speeding up container fill and overall throughput.
Handles bulky wood waste using high torque and a recirculator auger, reducing the frequency of costly hauler runs.
Breaks down dense or oversized materials with a pre-crush cycle, then compacts them tightly. Reduces hauls while boosting container efficiency and payloads.
Handles bulky loads with powerful pre-crush and compaction cycles, driving down transport costs and maximizing container utilization.
“We estimate that the Komar Auger has saved us 1,300 hours of labor per year, has reduced our hauling cost by two-thirds, and has given La-Z-Boy a safer process and more floor space.”
Troy Kvingedal, Facilities Supervisor, La-Z-Boy
“Since installing our Komar Auger, we have improved our operations tremendously. The auger units have reduced labor from six people down to one person, who oversees the conveyor lines and compactors. We have gone from a 2-ton payload to a 10-ton-plus payload, per 40-yard container, reducing our annual pull charges by over 75%. We have less downtime and have eliminated jams due to the slow operation of the old compactors. Best of all, we had less than a one-year return on investment.”
John Hefty, Operations Manager, GameStop
“Since we started using the Komar Auger, our yard is clean, the open tops are gone, and we’re spending a lot less on waste hauling.”
Dave McCarl, Facilities Supervisor, Traco
Yes. Our heavy-duty augers and pre-crushers are designed to break up and compact full pallets, crates, and other large wood structures without pre-processing.
Komar augers and pre-crushers are built with hardened, abrasion-resistant components that can withstand incidental metal such as nails or screws.
Generally, no. Most recycling facilities only accept untreated, clean wood. Treated and painted wood is typicallybest compacted and disposed of properly.
No. Our augers and pre-crushers are specifically engineered to handle large objects without jamming.
Komar Augers can produce up to 5:1 volume reduction, depending on the equipment selected, material type, and container configuration.
Yes. Stacked pallets can tip and fall, create fire hazards, could block emergency routes, and require significant floor space that could be better utilized. Komar compactors break down wood waste, reducing safety and fire risks while freeing up valuable real estate for actual operations.
ROI is typically achieved in 12 to 24 months through reduced labor, hauling costs, and improved space efficiency—often sooner for high-volume generators.
Yes. Komar has both auger and pre-crusher compactors that are designed to work with mixed streams that include cardboard, film, foam, banding, and other packing materials.
Yes. Our systems and engineering teams specialize in designing custom hoppers, infeed systems, and automation solutions tailored to your operation.
We are a waste solutions company. With a wide array of application-specific models and advanced engineering capabilities, we look forward to guiding you to the best solution for the job.
Schedule a free waste stream evaluation to identify the right equipment and processes for your space, waste types, and volume.