Bin Liner Sizes and Grades: A Facilities Buyer's Guide

Bin liners are one of those consumables nobody thinks about until they go wrong. Buy them too small and they slip into the bin the moment a bag of rubbish lands on top. Buy them too thin and they split on the way to the skip, leaving your cleaner mopping up whatever was inside. Buy the wrong size in bulk and you are stuck with a pallet of bags that fit nothing.

This guide explains how bin liner sizes, litres and thickness actually work, which liner suits which bin, and how to buy in bulk so you never run short. If you already know your sizes, you can go straight to our garbage bags and bin liners range, sold in cartons of 200-250.

Bin liners at a glance

Three numbers tell you almost everything about a bin liner:

• Litres. The volume the bag is designed for. Match it to the capacity printed on your bin, usually moulded into the plastic near the lid or on the base.
• Dimensions (width x length, in mm). The flat size of the bag. This is what decides whether the liner folds over the rim with enough overhang to stay put.
• Thickness (µm, microns). How heavy the film is. Thicker film resists tearing and punctures, but costs more per bag.

Most commercial liners, including ours, use a star seal base. The bottom is folded and sealed in a star pattern, so the bag opens out round and sits flush in the bin without the corner gaps you get on a flat seal. Star seals also spread the load better, which means fewer split seams.

Bin liner sizes: which liner fits which bin?

Here is how the sizes we stock line up with common commercial bins. Bin capacities vary between manufacturers, so treat this as a starting point and check the litres on your own bins.

Liner	Size (W x L)	Thickness	Carton	Typical bin
82 litre green	810 x 950mm	15µm	250	Commercial kitchen bins, large office and cafe bins, pedal bins around 60-80L
120 litre green	950 x 1100mm	15µm	200	120L wheelie bins, large swing top bins, cleaning trolleys
120 litre frosty	950 x 1100mm	20µm	200	As above, where heavier film or see-through contents help (clearance stock)
240 litre green	1150 x 1450mm	15µm	200	Standard 240L wheelie bins
240 litre frosty	1150 x 1450mm	20µm	200	240L wheelie bins with heavier or bulkier waste

How to check a liner will fit

If your bin has no litre marking, or it is an odd shape, measure it:

1. Width. Measure around the top of the bin (the circumference) and halve it. The liner's flat width should be at least that figure, ideally a little more.
2. Length. Measure the bin height, then add half the bin's diameter (the star seal needs this to reach the corners of the base) plus about 100mm to fold over the rim.

A liner that passes both checks will sit flat on the bottom and grip the rim, which is exactly what stops it slipping in when it fills up. When in doubt, go one size up: a bit of extra overhang costs far less than a liner that collapses into the bin.

Popular bin liner picks

Bin liner grades: microns, film and colour

What the micron number means

Micron (µm) is the thickness of the film. One micron is a thousandth of a millimetre, so a 15µm liner is very thin film, and that is fine for most everyday waste. As a rough guide:

• 15µm: general office, retail and cafe waste. Paper, packaging, food scraps, light rubbish.
• 20µm: heavier or bulkier loads. Wheelie bins that get packed down, kitchen waste with bones or wet scraps, cleaning trolleys.
• Heavier again: construction debris, broken glass, sharp offcuts. For these jobs, a standard bin liner is the wrong tool; look at our heavy duty plastic bags instead.

HDPE vs LDPE bin liners

Most thin commercial bin liners are HDPE (high density polyethylene). HDPE is crinkly, slightly see-through and surprisingly strong for its thickness, which is why a 15-20µm HDPE liner can carry a full bin. LDPE is softer and stretchier; it copes better with sharp corners poking through but needs more film to carry the same weight. Our LDPE vs HDPE guide goes deeper if you want the detail.

Green or frosty?

Colour is mostly about practicality:

• Green liners are the everyday general waste choice and are easy to tell apart from other streams.
• Frosty (semi-clear) liners let cleaners and staff see what is inside. That helps in offices, schools and healthcare settings where someone needs to check a bag before it goes out, and it discourages people from tossing recyclables into general waste.

If your site separates waste streams, use a different liner colour for each one and put a simple sign above the bins. It is the cheapest waste-sorting system there is.

A note on "degradable" liners

Our green liners are sold as degradable. Degradable is not the same as compostable: these liners are designed to break down over time, but they are not suitable for home or commercial compost and should go in general waste. If sustainability claims matter to your business, our guide to compostable vs recyclable vs reusable packaging explains the terms and what each one means in Australia.

Who uses which bin liner?

• Cafes and coffee shops usually run an 82L liner behind the counter and a 240L liner in the wheelie bin out the back. See our packaging for cafes and coffee shops for the rest of the kit.
• Restaurants and takeaway kitchens go through liners fast. The heavier 20µm film is worth it for wet, heavy kitchen waste. Our restaurants and takeaway page covers the other daily consumables.
• Warehouses and fulfilment centres mostly deal with cardboard offcuts, stretch wrap and void fill, which is bulky rather than heavy. 120L and 240L liners on the packing floor keep things moving. See packaging for warehousing and 3PL.
• Offices, schools and cleaning contractors often prefer frosty liners so the contents are visible.

For other sectors, the industries hub lists recommended packaging by business type.

Buying bin liners in bulk

Bin liners are a pure consumable, so the aim is simple: never run out, and never overpay.

1. Count your bins, not your bags. List every bin on site by size and how often it is emptied. Multiply out to a weekly usage, then order a carton or two ahead of that.
2. Standardise sizes. If you can swap odd bins for a standard 82L or 120L size, you cut the number of liner lines you need to stock.
3. Match the grade to the job. Putting 20µm liners in office paper bins wastes money; putting 15µm liners in a kitchen wheelie bin wastes cleaning time.
4. Store them properly. Keep cartons dry and out of direct sun. UV and heat can weaken thin film over time.
5. Get a quote for regular orders. If you buy for multiple sites or place a standing order, a bulk quote is the quickest way to lock in the best price, backed by our 5% price-beat guarantee.

Frequently asked questions

What size bin liner fits a 240 litre wheelie bin?

A 1150 x 1450mm liner is the standard fit for a 240L wheelie bin. It gives enough width to fold over the rim and enough length for the star seal base to sit flat on the bottom.

What does a star seal mean on garbage bags?

The base of the bag is folded and sealed in a star pattern rather than a straight line. When opened, the bag becomes round and sits flush inside the bin, with no weak corners and less chance of the seam splitting.

What thickness bin liner do I need?

For general office, retail and cafe waste, 15µm is usually enough. For heavy, wet or packed-down waste, step up to 20µm. For sharp or very heavy materials, use a purpose-made heavy duty bag.

Why does my bin liner keep slipping into the bin?

The liner is usually too small for the bin opening, or too short to fold over the rim properly. Measure the bin using the circumference and height method above and go up a size if needed.

Are degradable bin liners compostable?

No. Degradable liners are designed to break down over time, but they are not certified compostable and should not go in a compost or green waste bin. Dispose of them with general waste.

How many bin liners come in a carton?

Our 120L and 240L liners come in cartons of 200, and the 82L liners come in cartons of 250 on an interleaved roll. We dispatch same day on orders placed before 12pm on weekdays, Australia-wide.