People & Places

How do rubbish trucks squeeze so much rubbish inside?

Rubbish trucks use a powerful compactor to crush loose waste into a dense load. A rubbish bag is full of air gaps between objects. Inside many rubbish trucks, a metal blade or plate pushes the waste hard against the back of the truck body. That squeezing breaks bulky items, flattens soft rubbish and forces air out, so much more can fit.