When it comes to choosing the right trash bag for your needs, one of the most important factors to consider is the thickness of the bag. Manufacturers measure the thickness of the bag using a micrometer, which calculates the measurement in thousandths. Contractors transporting heavy and potentially sharp trash should opt for a thick, high-density garbage bag. The micron is used to measure the thickness of high-density garbage bags, measuring to one thousandth of a millimeter or 0.001mm.
For perspective, a standard sheet of paper is about 100 microns thick. Consumer and post-industrial polyethylene is made from recycled post-consumer plastics, such as milk jugs and industrial waste. These are reprocessed and mixed with other types of resins to produce new high-quality coatings. The thickness of these coatings is measured in one hundred thousandths of an inch (0.0001).
For example, a common low-density coating ranges from 0.0007 to 0.0015. To convert microns to thousandths of an inch, divide the micron by 25.4 to get the actual thickness in thousandths of an inch. Alternatively, you can use our trash bag size calculator to help you measure the right trash bag sizes for your trash cans. In addition to our calculator, we'll also share with you how to do these calculations manually so that you can calculate the size of the garbage bag you need, anywhere, anytime. We'll also tell you about the commonly available standard trash bag sizes so that you can choose the best option for your trash cans.
To calculate the size of a trash bag manually, you'll need to know the shape and size of your trash can, as well as its height and cantilever or tie size. The cantilever or tie size is the extra height of the trash bag that hangs on the edge of the trash can and should measure between 3 and 6 inches, or between 7 and 15 cm, depending on the size of your trash can. Let's take an example by calculating the size of a 22-inch trash can with a height of 30 inches. We'll select Circle as its shape and maintain a default cantilever or tie size of 4 inches. Therefore, our proper garbage bag should have a width of approximately 35 inches with a height of 45 inches.
To calculate another example, let's use a square kitchen trash can with a length and width of 20 inches, and a height of 36 inches. In this case, our suitable garbage bag should have an approximate width and height of 40 × 52 inches, respectively. Garbage bags come in many colors and sizes, but what differentiates them is their thickness, generally measured in thousandths. In the kitchen, we usually use medium and low-density garbage bags which range from 0.5 to 0.9 thousandths. These are economical and sufficient for disposing everyday garbage.
However, when we are renovating or cleaning our house, we need more durable bags that can resist breakage from glass, nails, wood chips and other sharp objects. For this purpose, bags between 2.0 and 3.0 thousandths are more suitable; however, most of these garbage bags end up being single-use plastic. To determine how much we have unknowingly contributed to these remains, you can use our plastic footprint calculator and bag footprint calculator. Regardless of which garbage bag you choose, it's important to have a clear idea of its thickness - especially in millimeters versus microns - as this will determine its durability when it comes to containing sharp objects. Garbage that is placed in bellows (sealed bags) tends to spread to all areas of the bag making it a popular choice for many types of trash cans.
