Bale specification

A bale specification is the written definition of what a bale must be for a trade to complete at the agreed price: material and grade (LDPE 95/5, PET clear), colour ratios, contamination tolerance, moisture limit, prohibited items, bale dimensions and weight (400–600 kg is standard for film), tie type (steel wire or PET strap), and storage requirements (dry, off the ground).

Its function is to move disputes from the port to the contract stage. A load either meets the written spec or it does not; photographs at grading and loading create the evidence base, and any downgrade is negotiated against documented criteria rather than assertions. In waste exports the spec also carries legal weight: it is how the exporter demonstrates that what shipped matches the B3011 conditions declared on the Annex VII.