diff --git a/covjsonkit/api.py b/covjsonkit/api.py
index 76346dd..008921f 100644
--- a/covjsonkit/api.py
+++ b/covjsonkit/api.py
@@ -82,7 +82,8 @@ def encode(self, type, domaintype):
         elif domaintype == "trajectory":
             domaintype = "path"
         feature = self._feature_factory(domaintype.lower(), "encoder")
-        return feature(self.conf, domaintype)
+        coveragejson = feature(self.conf, domaintype)
+        return coveragejson
 
     def decode(self, covjson):
         if "domainType" not in covjson:
diff --git a/covjsonkit/config.py b/covjsonkit/config.py
index 9fe2abd..0009509 100644
--- a/covjsonkit/config.py
+++ b/covjsonkit/config.py
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
+from typing import Literal
+
 from conflator import ConfigModel
 
 
 class CovjsonKitConfig(ConfigModel):
     param_db: str = "ecmwf"
+    compression: Literal["zstd", "lz4", "binpack", None] = None
diff --git a/covjsonkit/encoder/encoder.py b/covjsonkit/encoder/encoder.py
index 81e4f39..f2ed368 100644
--- a/covjsonkit/encoder/encoder.py
+++ b/covjsonkit/encoder/encoder.py
@@ -182,7 +182,6 @@ def calculate_index_bounds(level_len, num_len, para_len, step_len, l, i, j, k):
             return start_index, end_index
 
         def append_composite_coords(dates, tree_values, lat, coords):
-            # for date in dates:
             for value in tree_values:
                 coords[dates]["composite"].append([lat, value])
 
diff --git a/covjsonkit/utils.py b/covjsonkit/utils.py
index 90c177f..64ff843 100644
--- a/covjsonkit/utils.py
+++ b/covjsonkit/utils.py
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+import os
+from pathlib import Path
+
+
 def merge_coverage_collections(collection1, collection2):
     """
     Merges two coverage collections into one.
@@ -87,3 +91,76 @@ def coverage_to_coveragecollection(coverage: dict) -> dict:
             collection[key] = coverage[key]
 
     return collection
+
+
+def compress(in_path, out_path=None, compression=None, level=3):
+    """Compress a file using the specified compression algorithm.
+    Args:
+        in_path (str): Path to the input file.
+        out_path (str, optional): Path to the output file. If None, the output
+            file will be created in the same directory as the input file with an
+            appropriate suffix. Defaults to None.
+        compression (str, optional): Type of compression to use. Options are 'zstd', 'LZ4'.
+            Defaults to None.
+        level (int, optional): Compression level. Defaults to 3.
+    Returns:
+        str: Path to the compressed file.
+    """
+    if compression is None:
+        print("No compression specified, please specify type of compression (zstd, LZ4, binpack)")
+    else:
+        if compression == "zstd":
+            import zstandard as zstd
+
+            in_path = Path(in_path)
+            in_file_size = os.path.getsize(in_path)
+
+            if out_path is None:
+                out_path = in_path
+            output_file = in_path.with_suffix(out_path.suffix + ".zst")
+
+            cctx = zstd.ZstdCompressor(level=level)
+
+            with open(in_path, "rb") as f_in, open(output_file, "wb") as f_out:
+                f_out.write(cctx.compress(f_in.read()))
+
+            output_file_size = os.path.getsize(output_file)
+
+            print(f"Compressed {in_path} → {output_file}")
+            print(f"Input file size: {in_file_size} bytes")
+            print(f"Output file size: {output_file_size} bytes")
+            print(f"Compression ratio: {in_file_size / output_file_size:.2f}")
+
+            return output_file
+
+        elif compression == "LZ4":
+            import lz4.frame
+
+            input_file = Path(in_path)
+            in_file_size = os.path.getsize(input_file)
+
+            if out_path is None:
+                output_file = input_file.with_suffix(input_file.suffix + ".lz4")
+            else:
+                output_file = Path(out_path)
+
+            with open(input_file, "rb") as f_in:
+                data = f_in.read()
+
+            compressed = lz4.frame.compress(data, compression_level=level)
+
+            with open(output_file, "wb") as f_out:
+                f_out.write(compressed)
+
+            output_file_size = os.path.getsize(output_file)
+
+            print(f"Compressed {input_file} → {output_file}")
+            print(f"Input file size: {in_file_size} bytes")
+            print(f"Output file size: {output_file_size} bytes")
+            print(f"Compression ratio: {in_file_size / output_file_size:.2f}")
+
+            return output_file
+    #    import binpacking
+
+    #    compressed = binpacking.pack(data)
+    #    return compressed
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index 6c4b775..fb272a7 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -5,3 +5,5 @@ covjson-pydantic
 conflator
 scipy
 pre-commit
+zstandard
+lz4