A system includes a portable compactor having a vertical support, a horizontal support, and a trolley arm. The horizontal support and the trolley arm fold within an enclosure of the vertical support. The trolley arm folds within an enclosure of the horizontal support and includes a compactor ram that is driven to compact refuse.

An apparatus for measuring the weight of a container, such as a large trash compactor, includes a base plate and a loading fixture. The loading fixture is carried by the base plate, and includes a floating plate, at least one piston coupled to the floating plate, and a pressure transducer for generating a selected signal based upon pressure in the piston.

Systems and methods include a modular hopper including a first side wall including a rear edge, a back edge, a top edge, and a bottom edge; a second side wall comprising a rear edge, a back edge, a top edge, and a bottom edge; a rear wall removably fastened to the rear edge of the first side wall along a first edge and removably fastened to the rear edge of the second side wall along a second edge opposite the first edge. Each of the first side wall, the second side wall, and the rear wall defines a refuse receiving opening configured to enable access to an interior of the modular hopper. The refuse receiving openings defined in the first side wall, the second side wall, and the rear wall have substantially similar dimensions, and the modular hopper is configured to be removably fastened to a compactor system.