Abstract: A waste disposal system is disclosed wherein the fullness of a plurality of trash collection units equipped with industrial compactors can be monitored at or by a central processing unit. The invention recognizes that the compaction cycle of an industrial compactor exerts a force against the trash being compacted, which force translates into a strain on components of the compaction assembly. The stress exerted against the compaction assembly when it is compacting trash is determined by an electronic sensing device. This strain measurement correlates to the amount of trash in the receptacle and, accordingly, is utilized to determine whether the receptacle is in fact full and in need of being emptied. The stress measurement is obtained by electronically measuring the strain exerted against a component of the compaction assembly as a result of the trash compacting action.