Bulk Salt: Which Option is Right for You
When it comes to keeping your business or site safe during the winter, buying salt in bulk is often the most cost-effective choice. However, with several options available, it’s not always easy to know which one is the best fit for your needs.
That’s where Online Rock Salt can help. As industry experts with nearly two decades of experience supplying de-icing products, we understand that the right solution for your business depends on multiple factors, from your site’s storage capacity to your budget.
This is why we offer bulk salt in pre-packed bags,bulk bags, and as loose loads.
Please note: Bulk deliveries start from 10 tonnes for bagged salt and bulk bags, and from 20 tonnes for loose salt. If you are after smaller quantities, you can browse our product range online and get an instant quote in just a few clicks.
Our Bulk Salt Options
To accommodate to different needs of our customers, our company offers both white and rock salt in bulk quantities.
Make sure that you take your time to understand the differences between the two types and choose something that truly works for your needs. Otherwise, you could end up with a supply that isn’t suitable for your intended use.
White salt contains fewer impurities than rock salt and will not stain any indoor floor surfaces, such as carpets or tiles. As a result, it tends to be a preferred option for many businesses with high foot traffic, such as restaurants and shops.
Rock salt, on the other hand, contains more impurities, such as clay, that give it a slightly brown colour. As a result, it tends to leave a brown residue behind, which is why it is mainly used by highway agencies to treat the roads during winter or by businesses in areas where this is not a concern, such as private roads or large parking lots. It is also cheaper.
To learn more, visit our ‘Rock Salt vs White Salt’ blog.
Once you have chosen your salt type, it is time to choose between pre-packed bags, bulk bags or loose loads.
Pre-Packed Bags
Bagged rock salt and white salt come in two sizes: smaller bags of around 10kg and larger ones of about 23.5kg. You can choose bags with our company’s branding or a design that is suitable for resale.
The main advantage of choosing pre-packed salt for your business is the ease of storage. The sealed bags keep the salt dry and free from moisture, making them an excellent choice if you have a limited storage space as they can be kept almost anywhere, as long as they’re protected from the rain and direct sunlight. Once placed in their desired location, no additional steps must be taken for the salt to stay in top condition.
Bagged salt offers great inventory control too since you can easily work out how much salt your business has left by simply counting the bags. This is much harder with loose or bulk salt, which can increase the risk of running out at the wrong time. Additionally, they are an amazing choice if you want to top up your grit bin since they’re easy to carry, allowing you to keep the key areas of your business safe by providing quick access to de-icing products when necessary.
However, buying bagged salt in bulk may not be the right decision for you if your business often needs quick access to large amounts of salt, such as a gritting service business since opening each bag can be time consuming. On top of this, individually bagged salt is more expensive than bulk salt purchased as a loose load or in bulk bags, and the difference can become quite substantial if you are after a big amount of salt. The individual packaging also generates more waste than the other two bulk delivery options.
Bulk Bags
Our bulk bags are not sold by weight, but each one weighs approximately 900kg and is 75 x 85 x 95cm in size.
Bulk bags are cheaper than individually wrapped bags, making them the most cost-effective bagged option for your business.
They are also easier to transport than loose salt. All our bulk bags are tunnel bags, meaning forklifts can easily pick them up and move them around with no issue - something that can be challenging with loose salt if you don’t have the right equipment. They are also safer for your staff to deal with than the tunnel-loop bags that most other companies offer, since they eliminate the need for manually placing the loops over the forks. Instead, they have two reinforced fabric tunnels that run vertically down the sides of the bag, which the forklift can slide directly into, reducing the risks of any accidents. Bulk bags of salt also generate less waste than individually bagged salt.
On the other hand, weighing almost a tonne, the bags are hard to move unless your business has the right equipment to do so. They can also be inconvenient if you only want to use a small amount - for example, 10kg to fill your grit bin - as you would need to move the whole bag or move the salt into a smaller container first. It is also hard to know how much salt is left in a bag, making inventory management harder,and increasing the risk of salt running out during a cold spell.
Loose Salt
Our loose loads of salt are available in two quantities: 20 and 30 tonnes.
Buying a loose load of rock salt or white salt is the right option for your business if you are looking for the cheapest option and have the equipment needed to handle it, such as a power shovel or a telehandler. Another key advantage of choosing a loose load is the ability to get the most salt delivered at once, with no waste from additional packaging.
However, loose salt takes a significant amount of room, so if your business has restricted space, this is likely not the right option for you. Unless you track how much salt you have used each time, stock management will be difficult too. Loose loads also need to be covered to keep the salt away from moisture and ready to use when required, meaning your business would need to invest in heavy-duty, waterproof sheets.
Buying bulk salt can be one of the best decisions for your business – helping you save money and reduce the risk of slips, trips, and falls once the cold weather sets in.
If you have limited space and want a simple solution that makes it easy to keep track of your inventory, pre-packed bags are the way to go. If you’d like to spend less while still having the convenience of forklift-friendly bags, bulk bags are the best fit. Lastly, if you need very large quantities, already have the right equipment, and have space to store it properly, loose salt is the best and cheapest option – freeing up extra cash for other parts of your business.
