Abstract: Apparatus for use with yard waste bags of the flat-bottom paper type is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a base and a shaft, the shaft terminating at one end in a handle and at the other end in the base. The shaft is hollow. The base and the shaft are constructed out of plastic and in the form of a hand tamper. The tamper is sized such that, when the tamper is operatively disposed within an empty one of said bags with the base on the bag bottom, the base substantially fully occupies and overlies the bag bottom and the handle projects above the bag.