Abstract: A crusher for articles, such as bottles and cans, having a crushing chamber with a top loading opening communicating with a loading chute having baffles for orienting articles entering the crushing chamber and preventing splashback of liquids or kick-back of articles during crushing, a hydraulically-powered piston movable into the crushing chamber to press articles against a fixed end wall of the chamber and a bottom opening in the chamber for gravity drop of crushed articles from the crushing chamber, with an expansion section of the crushing chamber overlying the bottom discharge opening to prevent binding of the crushed articles within the chamber and permit their fall by gravity through the bottom opening.