Are you throwing money away with your trash? Improper sizing, thickness and density of waste can liners could be costing you a lot of money!
SIZING
Do you have to tie a knot in can liners or put a band around them to keep them from falling into your trash cans? If so, you are using too much bag for the job, and obviously, the larger the bag, the more it costs.
A perfect-fitting trash can liners should hang 3-4 inches over the top of the container and fit snugly. Many waste containers will have the gallon capacity printed somewhere on them. But if not, here is a formula to measure for the correct can liner size needed.
Width: On a circular container, use half of the circumference (distance around the largest part of the container divided by two). On a square or rectangular container, use half of the total of all four sides.
Length: On a circular container, use height plus half of the diameter (distance straight across the circle divided by two) of the container bottom plus three inches for overhang. On a square or rectangular container, use the height plus the diagonal of the container bottom plus three inches for overhang.
THICKNESS
Besides wasting money on can liners that are too big, you may also be using too thick of a can liner. You could try going down to the next lowest thickness and see if the liner is strong enough for the type of garbage you have. On the other hand, if you find you are “double bagging” because the liner tears too easily, you need to try a thicker liner, which will save you money in the long run because using two thinner liners are going to cost you more than using one thicker liner.
DENSITY
High density can liners can save you money, too. High density liners tend to be less expensive than low density liners. But they can only be used for certain applications. They are ideal for disposal of wet and bulky trash (food scraps, coffee grounds, paper, etc.). They are also great for carrying heavy loads of wet linens. Restrooms and office environments are perfect places for high density liners. You should NOT, however, use a high density liner if you have a lot of garbage that has sharp or jagged edges.
