How often do you think about can liners? Do you sit back and think about the job they perform for you and how well they accomplish what you need them to? There’s a lot more to can liners than meets the eye and chances are you aren’t particularly familiar with your liners. While they might not seem like a high priority item, many companies waste money on can liners that aren't right for the task at hand. Whether they're too big or too small for the trash receptacle, the wrong material or the wrong thickness. At the Safety Source, we offer a large selection of wholesale trash bags and commercial garbage can liners at low prices that are great in any residential, commercial or industrial environment.
Can liners are made using polyethylene resin. They have two common varieties that meet consumer’s needs differently. They are Linear Low Density and High Density.
Linear Low density (LLDPE) garbage can liners are generally made from Hexene resins, are the stronger of the two, and are noticeably more tear resistant. However, they tend to handle lower load capacities when compared to their high-density counterparts at similar gauges. Low density bags are ideal for industrial waste, contractor bags, medical isolation liners, objects with jagged corners or protrusions, or demanding transportation conditions. Low density garbage can liners are also great in applications where there may be liquids in the bag.
High Density (HDPE) bags can handle higher load capacities and have the ability to stretch more than low density, but once they have been punctured or torn they lose a lot of their integrity. This makes them ideal for holding things like refuse without jagged edges, paper products, food waste, and cloth. Inside the linear low-density category, there is also the recycled material (REPRO) option. These tend to be made to a thicker gauge than other low-density bags, but are not as reliable as the source material varies for each batch. Another category that we have available from our liner provider Colonial Bag, is the exclusive HI/LO Blended resin bags. These are a cross between linear low density bags and high density bags. These function in the marketplace similarly to the REPRO bags, but are more durable and reliable.
The base of your can liner can come in one of three styles, each of which has different properties that can affect how they perform. They are Gusseted, Flat, and Star or X.
Gusseted bags have their bottom sealed through and tucked back in on top of itself. While this allows it to fit most cans nicely, the center of the bag is only sealed through two layers, making them fairly weak. Because of this, Gusseted bags are not recommended for any heavy or wet refuse.
Flat bottom bags are sealed thoroughly across one bottom seam. While this makes them virtually leak proof, it gives them an awkward shape that makes them hard to handle, while also having the tendency to get stuck in the bottom of your can. This also results in not utilizing their full capacity.
X seal or Star seal style bags are designed to fold in and seal on itself without the gussets and with extra integrity in the seams to allow it distribute heavy loads evenly and effectively, while providing leak resistance. While generally not as leak-proof as flat style bags, the leak protection they provide is still above par, while allowing the liner to conform to the shape of the can, maximizing its capacity.
Round
You will need to know the diameter and the height of your receptacle. Your diameter is the distance across the top of the receptacle.
Calculating height.
Bag Height = half of diameter + 6 inches + height of receptacle.
Calculating width.
Bag width = Diameter of receptacle x 3.14 (pi) 2.
Square
You will need to know length of the adjacent sides of your receptacle.
Calculating height.
Half of the smallest of the 4 sides + 6 inches + height of the can.
Calculating width.
The total of the length of the two adjacent sides.
You'll notice that some bags have a Mil Thickness while others might have a Micron Thickness, but what's the difference? A Micron and a Mil are both units of measure, which are both used in measuring the thickness of can liners and garbage bags. High Density (HDPE) bags are usually measures in Microns. But how thick is a Micron? A Micron is about on one hundred thousandths of an inch of thickness. Low Density (LLDPE) bags are usually measured in Mils. A Mil is one thousandth of an inch of thickness. If you know the thickness of your current bag, it's an easy calculation to go from Micron to Mil thickness, and vice versa. For any Mil thickness, multiply that number by 25.4 to find its relative Micron thickness. For a Micron to Mil conversion, divide by 25.4 instead.
For a more in-depth guide on industrial can liners and garbage bags, you can visit our blog on Can Liners.