Here's my new habit: Whenever I take the plastic wrap off a roll of paper towels or some other package, it goes straight into my Obaggo, a personal trash compactor about the size of a coffee maker.

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve mentioned trash-compactor bags in this column. I swear by them as a piece of gear in my kit, thus the constant recommendations. But my love for them is more ...

Netherlands-based Van Beek has introduced a bag compactor that is designed to help production companies handle the empty bags they generate as cheaply and efficiently as possible, the company says.