A hand press for pressing a packaging, preferably for pressing a food packaging such as a bottle or a can, comprising - a housing, which has at least one first opening for inserting the packaging and at least one second opening for disposing of the packaging; - a pressing device, which is arranged substantially inside the housing and has a first pressing surface; - an actuating device which is connected via a rotary shaft to at least one lever which is rotatably supported by the pressing device; and - a flap device which is arranged substantially within the housing and has a first part for closing the first opening of the housing and a second part with a second pressing surface, wherein the flap device can be fixed in at least two positions by the pressing device, wherein, in at least one starting position, the packaging is held at least partially in the region of the first opening by the first part and, in at least one pressing position, the first opening is at least partially closed by the first part and the first and second pressing surfaces (15 a, 7b) form a wedge-shaped pressing space such that the packaging is brought into the housing during the transition from the starting position into the pressing position, at least partially held and pressed together in the pressing position in the region of the tip of the wedge-shaped pressing chamber by the first and second pressing surfaces (15 a, 7b) and it can be ejected from the housing during a subsequent transition from the pressing position into the starting position through the second opening, wherein the pressing device can be moved during the transition from the starting position into the pressing position in such a way that the angle of the wedge-shaped pressing space is reduced, characterized in that the pressing device is guided in a predetermined radial curved path by means of at least one pin arranged on the pressing device, wherein the first pressing surface is curved and/or angled towards the second pressing surface in the region of the tip of the wedge-shaped pressing space. - a housing, which has at least one first opening for inserting the packaging and at least one second opening for disposing of the packaging; - a pressing device, which is arranged substantially inside the housing and has a first pressing surface; - an actuating device which is connected via a rotary shaft to at least one lever which is rotatably supported by the pressing device; and - a flap device which is arranged substantially within the housing and has a first part for closing the first opening of the housing and a second part with a second pressing surface, wherein the flap device can be fixed in at least two positions by the pressing device, wherein, in at least one starting position, the packaging is held at least partially in the region of the first opening by the first part and, in at least one pressing position, the first opening is at least partially closed by the first part and the first and second pressing surfaces (15 a, 7b) form a wedge-shaped pressing space such that the packaging is brought into the housing during the transition from the starting position into the pressing position, at least partially held and pressed together in the pressing position in the region of the tip of the wedge-shaped pressing chamber by the first and second pressing surfaces (15 a, 7b) and it can be ejected from the housing during a subsequent transition from the pressing position into the starting position through the second opening, wherein the pressing device can be moved during the transition from the starting position into the pressing position in such a way that the angle of the wedge-shaped pressing space is reduced, characterized in that the pressing device is guided in a predetermined radial curved path by means of at least one pin arranged on the pressing device, wherein the first pressing surface is curved and/or angled towards the second pressing surface in the region of the tip of the wedge-shaped pressing space.