Trash Bag Comparison Guide

All the everyday supplies your business uses contribute to how efficiently your workplace runs. Finding the right size, shape, and strength of trash bags is no exception. The right trash bags can make your facility’s waste management tasks go smoothly. When you have the right trash bag for the type of refuse you’re discarding, you can easily eliminate the potential for leaks and spills, keeping your workplace clean and orderly. 

Read on to learn how easy it is to select the right trash bag for every area and receptacle in your facility—from restrooms and kitchens to offices and breakrooms.

Check out the image below. Do you have several of these types of waste cans in your facility? There’s a proper trash bag for each type of receptacle. Let’s learn more!

This chart can help you find the right trash bag for your business’s varied receptacles.

	Zoro Recycled Trash Bags:  33 Gal. Capacity	Zoro Recycled Trash Bags:  55 Gal. Capacity	Zoro Recycled Trash Bags:  56 Gal. Capacity	Zoro Recycled Trash Bags:  60 Gal. Capacity	Zoro Recycled Trash Bags:  96 Gal. Capacity
Package Qty.	250	100	150	50	50
Height	40"	54"	48"	58"	52"
Width	33"	41"	43"	38"	75"
Capacity	33 gal.	55 gal.	56 gal.	60 gal.	96 gal.
Strength Rating	Medium Strength	Super Heavy	Extra Heavy	Super Heavy	Super Heavy
Material	High Density Polyethylene	Linear Low Density Polyethylene	High Density Polyethylene	Linear Low Density Polyethylene	Linear Low Density Polyethylene
Thickness	12 microns	1.5mm	22 microns	2mm	2mm
Type of Bottom Seal	Star Seal	Star Seal	Star Seal	Star Seal	Star Seal
Scent	None	None	None	None	None
Color	Clear	Black	Black	Black	Black
Bags Per Roll	25	10	15	10	10
Rolls Per Package	10	10	10	5	5
Package Configuration	Interleaved Coreless Roll	Coreless Roll	Interleaved Coreless Roll	Coreless Roll	Coreless Roll
Max. Load	45 lb.	80 lb.	85 lb.	90 lb.	90 lb.
Application	Food Service, Hospital, Office, Education	Food Service, Hospital, Landscaping, Office, Education, Light and Heavy Manufacturing	Food Service, Hospital, Office, Education	Food Service, Hospital, Landscaping, Office, Education, Light and Heavy Manufacturing	Food Service, Hospital, Landscaping, Office, Education, Light and Heavy Manufacturing
Country of Origin (subject to change)	United States	United States	United States	United States	United States

Trash bags are commonly made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), and other types of plastic. Each type of material has different properties and unique benefits. We’ll focus on the differences between HDPE, LDPE, and LLDPE trash bags.

How Do HDPE, LDPE, and LLDPE Trash Bags Differ in Strength and Flexibility?

HDPE Bags

HDPE bags are a sturdy option used in many offices. They’re not very stretchy, which means they hold up when you lift them and they can withstand more extreme temperatures than other bags. However, HDPE bags are often thinner than other types of bags and are more susceptible to punctures. They’re ideal for dry, lightweight trash such as paper waste and non-rough objects from offices, restrooms, schools, or healthcare settings.

LDPE Bags

LDPE trash bags are soft, flexible, and more resistant to punctures and tears than HDPE bags. Many “heavy-duty” trash bags are made from LDPE for its stretchy, durable properties. 

LLDPE Bags

LLDPE bags are similar to LDPE bags, but they’re even more flexible and stretchy. These bags provide excellent resistance to tears and punctures. They’re best for heavy, wet, or jagged loads from industrial, commercial, and high-traffic settings. 

Which Type of Trash Bag Is Best for Carrying Heavy Loads?

LLDPE trash bags are best for carrying heavy loads because they’re thick, flexible, and more puncture-resistant than other types of trash bags.

One way to find the right trash bag size is with a few simple math formulas. 

When looking at trash bag measurements (example: 38" x 58"), the first number is the width of the trash bag when it is laid flat (this would also be half of the circumference). The second number is the length of the trash bag from top to bottom.

• Square Container Circumference
  Circumference = Add the lengths of all four sides together
  Example: 10"+22"+22"+10" = 64" circumference
• Round Container Circumference
  Circumference = Diameter multiplied by 3.14
  Example: 12" diameter x 3.14 = 37.68" circumference
• Bag Length (round and square containers)
  Add the height of the container plus 4-6 inches for overhang

A 38" x 58" trash bag will have a 76" (38" x 2) circumference. These formulas will help determine the circumference of your trash container to see what size trash bag will work best.

Trash bag strength is determined by three things: the type of plastic, the trash bag’s thickness, and the type of seal used. The seal refers to the method used to seal the bottom of a trash bag—not how to tie a trash bag. There are three types of seals: star seals, flat seals, and gusset seals. 

Star-Seal Trash Bags

Star seals are made by folding the bottom of the trash bag over itself several times. This type of seal is most commonly used by trash bag manufacturers as it helps eliminate leaks, prevents trash from piling up in one specific area, and allows the trash bag to be used in any garbage can or recycling bin, no matter the shape.

Flat-Seal Trash Bags

Flat seals are created by sealing the bottom edges of the trash bag together, ensuring no length of the trash bag goes unused. This type of seal is leak proof. However, they’re not as useful in different shaped garbage cans.

Gusset-Seal Trash Bags

Gusset seals are formed by taking the bottom edges and tucking them in to form a gusset. The outer edges become reinforced with four layers while the middle of the trash bag has only two. This seal has some discrepancy in strength, so these trash bags tend to leak.

Use the trash bag size chart to help determine which size trash bag you need based on how much weight the trash bag needs to hold.

Source: blog.interplas.com

Now that you’ve learned all about trash bags for your business, it’s time to stock up. Shop Zoro for all your trash bag needs and other everyday business essentials.

Product Compliance and Suitability

The statements contained in this guide are intended for general informational purposes only. Such statements do not constitute a product recommendation or representation as to the appropriateness, accuracy, completeness, correctness, or currentness of the information provided. Information provided in this guide does not replace the use by you of any manufacturer instructions, technical product manual, or other professional resource or adviser available to you. Always read, understand, and follow all manufacturer instructions.