A compactor system for use on board marine vessels and offshore installation. The compactor has a cart with bottom and side members capable of withstanding a compaction force. The upper rim of the cart has a lip. The system has a compaction unit formed of a movable upper frame with a shoulder and a lower fixed frame. During waste compaction, the moveable upper frame moves in an upward direction to a point where the shoulder engages the cart's lip to establish a force-distribution loop among the upper frame and the side and bottom members of the cart. The cart's wheels are not subjected to the compaction force.