PURPOSE: To improve compression efficiency and downsize an empty bag handling apparatus by constituting the apparatus of a compression plate and a push-in plate for allowing a plurality of flat empty bags which have been compressed and laminated on a bottom wall of a casing to pass through a push-out port while they can be two-folded into a V-shape.

CONSTITUTION: Empty bags B put into a casing 23 via an empty bag inlet port 42 provided on a front wall are sequentially compressed flatly by a compression plate 25 which vertically reciprocates, and laminated on a bottom wall 43 of the casing 23. When a plurality of empty bags B are compressed flatly and laminated on the bottom wall of the casing 23, a push-in plate 26 vertically lowers to press a center of the plurality of laminated empty bags to push them into an empty bag push-out port 44 while having the empty bags two-folded into an approximate V-shape at a time. The bags are pushed and received in a collecting bag 30 held below the push-in port in a two-fold state by the push-in plate 26 which further lowers in the empty bag push-out port 44. Since the plurality of empty bags are compressed flatly and further two-folded into an approximate V-shape, an outer diameter of the collecting bag is reduced and subsequent handling is easy.