The body of a man found in a cardboard bale at a recycling plant in Hamilton had been taken to the plant by truck, police say.

Daniel Bindner, 40, was homeless and had been living rough in his home town of Te Awamutu.

His body was discovered by workers at OJI Fibre Solutions' plant in Frankton on Tuesday.

Photo: Supplied

Trucks carry cardboard to the plant, where it is then processed into bales.

Detective Inspector Hywel Jones said the results of the post-mortem were inconclusive, and further tests were needed to determine the exact cause of Mr Bindner's death.

"Today, we followed numerous lines of inquiry in the Te Awamutu area, where we believe it is possible Mr Bindner was picked up in a recycling truck and delivered to OJI Fibre Solutions in Hamilton.

"The last recorded sighting we have of Mr Bindner is on Tuesday 21 June in Te Awamutu at McDonald's."

The the focus was on finding where the cardboard was picked up from, he said.

"We are going back through all the compnaies who had delivered during that time to establish who had run that route."

Mr Bindner was reported missing on Monday of this week, one day before he was found.

Police said he was unemployed and estranged from his family.

He had three children, aged 16, seven and five.