Abstract: A trash compactor with a housing having a head space at its top, a trash container at its bottom and a trash loading space between the head space and the trash container, a trash loading port in the side of the housing aligned with the trash loading space, a pressure platen and a lazy tong or scissors extension linkage mounted at the top of the housing and operable to move the platen between one or more advanced positions in which the extension linkage spans across the trash loading space and the platen is imposing compacting pressure on trash within the container, and a retracted position in which the extension linkage and platen are withdrawn into said head space, thus leaving the intervening trash loading space open for loading trash into the container through said loading port and without having to withdraw the container from the housing for loading purposes.