Enter your trash can's measurements and waste type to get the liner width and length the math actually requires, the standard commercial liner size that covers it, and the film density and gauge (HDPE microns vs LLDPE mils) matched to what goes in the bag.
How the sizing math works
Width: a liner must reach around half the can's opening โ for round cans that's the circumference divided by two (ฯ ร diameter รท 2); for rectangular cans it's length plus width. Length: the bag must run the can's height, reach across the bottom (half the diameter or short side โ flat-packed bags have no gusseted floor), and leave 3โ4 inches folded over the rim so the load sits in the bag, not on the seam. A standard 44-gallon round receptacle (24" diameter, 31.5" tall) works out to 37.7" x 47.5" โ which is exactly why the industry's "40โ45 gallon" liner is cut at 40 x 46.
Density does the real work. High-density (HDPE) film hauls office and paper waste at a third the material cost but zippers open at punctures; low-density (LLDPE) stretches around edges. The full decode โ mils vs microns, LLDPE vs HDPE, and the standard-size chart โ is in our trash bag thickness & density guide. Browse everything in the can liner collection, and liquid-heavy failures belong to the spill control collection with a wet floor sign posted while you clean up.
Guidance for general and industrial waste only โ regulated medical, sharps, and hazardous waste have their own container rules. WC Safety participates in the Amazon Associates Program; product links may earn us a commission.