How to Choose the Right Can Liners for Your Business

Choosing the right can liners may seem like a minor decision, but for businesses, it plays a major role in cleanliness, efficiency, cost control, and even environmental responsibility. From the office breakroom to busy commercial kitchens, using the wrong trash can liners can cause frustrating issues like leaks, tears, spills, and odors.

Whether you run a restaurant, office, medical facility, or retail space, the right trash liners ensure proper waste disposal, improve hygiene, and reduce overall operating costs. In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know to choose the best can liners for your business.

What Are Can Liners and Why Do They Matter?

Can liners, commonly referred to as trash can liners or garbage bags, are the first line of defense in your waste management system. While they may all look similar at first glance, the materials, thickness, and sizing of liners vary widely, and the right choice can make a big difference.

A properly selected can liner will:

• Ensure efficient waste disposal
• Prevent leaks, rips, and foul odors
• Support eco-conscious or sustainable waste management
• Reduce replacement costs due to breakage or poor fit
• Improve cleanliness and hygiene in kitchen waste and high-traffic areas

For businesses handling everything from shredded paper to food scraps and hazardous waste, picking the right liner based on waste type and can size is critical.

Understanding the Different Types of Can Liners

Choosing between high-density and low-density liners is the first step in selecting the best product for your needs. Each type offers specific advantages based on the kind of waste your business handles.

High-Density Can Liners

Best suited for lightweight waste in clean, low-impact environments.

• Made from thinner, lightweight plastic (measured in microns)
• Ideal for soft, lightweight waste (paper towels, tissues, food wrappers)
• Resistant to punctures from soft trash
• Best used in offices, restrooms, and healthcare environments
• Cost-effective for high-volume use

Pro Tip: Use high-density can liners when managing dry or paper-based trash in climate-controlled areas—this helps you cut costs without sacrificing performance.

Low-Density Can Liners

Perfect for handling heavier, sharper, or more abrasive trash types.

• Thicker and more flexible (measured in mils)
• Excellent for heavy or sharp waste such as kitchen waste, glass, or metal parts
• Stretchable and resistant to tearing
• Ideal for restaurants, retail stores, and company waste disposal in industrial settings

Pro Tip: Always choose low-density can liners for environments where bags are at risk of tearing, such as kitchens, warehouses, or areas handling jagged materials.

Choose the Right Size for Your Trash Cans

Using the wrong size trash can liner might seem harmless, but it can lead to leaks, rips, wasted material, and unnecessary costs. A too-small bag slips down or tears under pressure, while a too-large liner wastes plastic and money.

Why Getting the Size Right Matters:

• Prevents messy overflows and bag slippage
• Improves overall waste disposal efficiency
• Reduces material waste and replacement costs
• Ensures a cleaner, more professional appearance
  

How to Measure for the Perfect Fit:

1. Measure your trash can’s height and diameter (or width and depth)
   → For square or rectangular cans, measure width + depth.
   → For round cans, use the diameter.
   
2. Add 4–6 inches to the width
   → This gives enough overhang to wrap securely over the bin’s rim.
   
3. Add 4–5 inches to the height
   → This allows room for tying the bag when it’s full.

Why Thickness Matters: Mil vs. Micron

When choosing can liners, thickness matters just as much as size or type. The wrong thickness can lead to tearing, leaks, or wasted money. Liners are measured in two different units depending on their type: mil and micron.

  Mil (for Low-Density Can Liners) – Thicker & Stronger

• Measured in mils (1 mil = 0.001 inch)
• Designed for handling heavy, sharp, or abrasive waste
• Common in commercial kitchens, warehouses, construction, and industrial settings
• Ideal when your trash includes glass, metal, wood, or wet kitchen waste
• Offers excellent stretch and tear resistance

Example: Use 1.5–3.0 mil-thick liners in restaurants or facilities disposing of heavy, rough trash.

  Micron (for High-Density Can Liners) – Thinner but Tough

• Measured in microns (1 micron = 0.000039 inch)
• Best for lightweight, soft waste that doesn’t have sharp edges
• Common in offices, restrooms, hotels, and medical environments
• Holds up well to paper, tissues, and food wrappers
• Offers good puncture resistance for soft trash

Example: Use 8–24 micron liners in office bins or public restrooms for dry or lightweight waste.

Quick Guide: Match Thickness to Waste Type

• Light, soft waste (paper, tissues) → Go with high-density liners (micron-rated)
• Heavy, sharp, or wet waste (glass, kitchen scraps) → Use low-density liners (mil-rated)
  

Match the Liner to Your Industry Needs

Different industries generate different types of waste. Choosing the right trash liners by industry helps ensure proper waste disposal and compliance with regulations.

Recommended Can Liners by Industry:

• Offices: Lightweight trash can liners for dry waste (paper, cups)
• Restaurants & Food Service: Heavy-duty liners for wet, greasy kitchen waste
• Healthcare: Puncture-resistant, leak-proof liners, often color-coded for safe handling
• Retail & Warehousing: Flexible liners that balance strength and value

Consider separating trash by type using different can liner colors—this improves workflow and keeps your business compliant with waste management regulations.

Choose Eco-Friendly Trash Can Liners

Businesses are under growing pressure to reduce their environmental impact, and eco-friendly trash can liners are an easy step in the right direction.

  Benefits of Sustainable Can Liners:

• Made from recycled or compostable materials
• Help reduce landfill waste
• Meet the city/state waste disposal and recycling guidelines
• Appeal to customers who care about the environment
  

Bulk Orders vs. Custom Liners: What’s Right for Your Business?

When it comes to purchasing can liners, the choice between buying in bulk or ordering custom-sized liners depends on your business’s unique needs. Both options offer benefits—it’s all about matching the right solution to your waste disposal setup.

Buying in Bulk: Cost-Effective for Most Businesses

Ordering standard trash can liners in bulk is ideal for businesses with common container sizes and consistent waste volume.

 It offers:

• Lower cost per liner
• Less frequent ordering (save time and effort)
• Readily available stock for standard trash can sizes
• Works well for offices, restaurants, schools, and retail spaces with typical waste management needs

Pro Tip: If your business uses multiple liners daily, bulk orders provide the best value without sacrificing quality.

Custom Can Liners: When One Size Doesn’t Fit All

For businesses with special waste types, unique bin sizes, or brand visibility needs, custom trash liners may be a better option.

Custom solutions may include:

• Specialty sizes for odd-shaped or high-capacity trash cans
• Printed liners featuring logos, color coding, or disposal instructions
• Extra-thick or reinforced liners for industrial, medical, or hazardous waste handling
• Designed for eco-friendly trash cans or sustainability-focused setups

Pro Tip: Custom liners are perfect if you need a better fit, added strength, or want to elevate your brand and improve sorting accuracy.

Conclusion

Choosing the right can liners may seem like a minor detail, but it plays a major role in the cleanliness, efficiency, and sustainability of your business. The right liner prevents leaks, minimizes waste, controls costs, and supports a clean, professional environment every single day. At VM3 Services, we know that one size doesn’t fit all. That’s why we offer more than just trash bags—we deliver smart, customized waste management solutions tailored to your industry, your needs, and your goals. Whether you’re looking for standard sizes, custom-fit liners, or eco-conscious alternatives, we’re here to help you make the right choice. With VM3 Services, you can eliminate the guesswork in waste management, so your business stays clean, efficient, and focused on what it does best.