Compaction equipment - which can range from giant road machines to the hand-worked implement in your kitchen - do many vital tasks in today's world. Construction needs a solid soil base underneath. Recyclables and solid wastes are easier to handle when reduced in size, or 'densified' in industry jargon.

Utility companies, road contractors, pavers, and site preparation engineers work with machines that press, shake, or tamp material tight. Soil, concrete, and asphalt compaction machines can be one-man, hand held units that resemble jackhammers in their appearance and action, although the effect is completely different. Others are walk-behind, self-propelled machines that look like bulky lawn mowers. Larger devices have seats for a driver and range from those that resemble a forklift to huge, articulated monsters that have huge pneumatic tires or one or more steel rollers.

The waste removal industry is another area in which compaction needs have resulted in the invention of many mechanical devices. Wastes from manufacturing or retail businesses is one of the major concerns and costs of operation. Both workers and garbage collectors are needed to handle the vast amount of material that must be moved away from the industrial or business site.

Even homeowners can benefit from keeping their solid wastes small and easy to handle. A home aluminum can crusher with a hand lever means far fewer trips to the recycling center, since crushed together cans take up less room in the storage bin under the sink. Larger units, as sleek and attractive as any other modern kitchen appliance, can handle metal and plastic recyclables and the rest of the trash to make disposal easier for all concerned.

The amount of recyclables and trash generated by even a small business may require a commercial or industrial sized waste handling unit. These come in a large variety, so managers must decide which type and size is best suited for their purposes. These units are expensive but save on garbage collection fees and employee hours and may qualify for energy credits.

Large trash compactors and cardboard balers come in both vertical and horizontal designs, and may be automatic, self-contained, stationary or portable, free-standing or designed to attach to walls or fences. Most are designed with safety as a first consideration, followed by ease of operation, high performance, and low maintenance. There are many competing companies that produce waste handling machines, some of whom offer repair service also.

If a business produces more than thirty yards of waste a week, counting both recyclables and garbage, compaction will be probably more of a necessity than a choice. Every large department store, electronics retailer, and restaurant will probably have a trash compactor st least in their warehouse or trash enclosure. Those who are 'green' will recycle cardboard, plastic, foam, glass, and paper.

Compaction equipment makes it possible to drive on smooth, long-lasting roads; construct large buildings such as schools, shopping centers, hospitals, and office complexes; bundle recyclables for easy transport to central facilities, and reduce the volume of trash that leaves a business or home and ends up in the landfill.