A collection apparatus weight and fullness level reporting system includes: an inlet; a removable collection bin receiving material placed into the collection apparatus; a compacting mechanism including a ram body, wherein the ram body travels between a home position located above the collection bin to a maximum travel position located inside the collection bin, wherein during each compaction cycle the ram body travels along a variable length of the compaction path; a fullness-reporting module that determines the height of the material in the collection bin; and a controller that determines the length of the compaction path the ram body travels during each compaction cycle based on the input received from the fullness reporting module, wherein at the end of each compaction cycle in which the material height is below a maximum height, the ram body is brought to rest at a height below the home position.