Sizing a garbage bag

[bankruatsteve]

I recently had a neighbor ask how to know what size needed for a waste container. I thought a bit strange since Thais don't usually buy them but whatever. 

 

It's easy if you can do some simple math. The bags are usually sold as rectangles. So, the width of the bag times 2 would be the approximate circumference. Measure the diameter of the waste container, multiply by pi (3.14), then divide by 2.  A bag a few cm/in above that in width will do it.  Cheers. 

[billd766]

I normally use 36x45 inch black bags to go to the trash man and either 15x30 or 12x20 inch white bags for the internal bins.

 

I empty the white bags into the black bags on Tuesday evenings and take them down to the trash bin as the binmen are usually there around 05 dark on Wednesdays and to early for me to catch them.

 

I buy the bags at Makro.

 

Edited April 15, 2022 by billd766

[OneMoreFarang]

I have to admit I am good enough to do the math (I know it's not so complicated), but I never ever thought about doing that. I just bought in a shop a size which I thought might be ok. And then I tried it.

Fine, it works.

And then later with another container I thought a smaller bag might work. I bought it, I tried it, and it didn't work. So next tile I will buy the bigger size.

Problem solved - and maybe 50B wasted. But I am sure I can use the smaller bags for something else.

[malt25]

Makro, BigC, Tops, Global House, all have the sizes of the bags marked, painted on the floor for easy reference. Easy peasy !

 

[Russell17au]

I buy mine from the 20 baht shop and they have all the different sizes so it is a case of if you do not want to do the math's then just go and buy a size bag and if it does not fit then buy the next size. At 20 baht a packet you can always find a use for the wrong size bags

[tweedledee2]

   I don't see your mathematical formula being very accurate.  I have over a dozen round black plastic trash cans in 3 different sizes (20-32 gal.)and the lids are all interchangeable. 

   I only use them for rain-water storage for the flowers and garden. But if I wanted to buy trash bags, I don't need to do simple math because the volume size is imprinted on the bottom. 

[petertucker48]

For Me, 30 by 40 "Garbage" bags perfect.

Makro bags available extra strong. 

[AgMech Cowboy]

21 hours ago, bankruatsteve said:

I thought a bit strange since Thais don't usually buy them but whatever. 

And you live where? All the Thai's I know use them, which is why Big C sometimes are out of stoke for the cheaper brands in some sizes. (That's my experience).

[Grusa]

It's not that simple!

 

Makros' 15"x30" bags are folded at that size BUT they have gussets at each side 4" wide, so their circumference is 2 x 15"+ 4 x 4" = 46", giving a bin diameter of 46÷π =14.6 or less, or a square bin of 46÷4= 11½" per side or less.

Although they are 30" long, the handle cut-out is 6", and the bottom will require 7½", so the maximum height of the bin will be 30"-13½"= 16½". And that leaves no slack to seal the bag!

 

I will leave it to you, dear reader, to perform these calculations for all the other sizes.

 

Short answer, the size printed on the packet bears little or no intuitive relationship to the size of the bin. Suck it and see, then remember the size you need!

 

 

[MrJ2U]

23 hours ago, billd766 said:

I buy the bags at Makro.

Great price and plenty of selection of sizes.

 

Sure beats having rotting fish head parts and leaky diaper residue in your garbage can.

 

 

[itsari]

12 hours ago, MrJ2U said:

Great price and plenty of selection of sizes.

 

Sure beats having rotting fish head parts and leaky diaper residue in your garbage can.

 

 

I separate all food waste as the local dogs will tear into the bags when placed on the street for collection . Also food waste is making the bag heavy and very smelly . I make compost with the food waste 

I also separate glass , plastic and  cardboard which the rubbish collectors are very grateful for . Because of that they take away the odd bag of building waste . 

Bag size is important for keeping the weight down for the men to throw onto the truck . I buy bags 25x30 that suits the job at 50 baht a pack .

 

[brianthainess]

17 hours ago, malt25 said:

Makro, BigC, Tops, Global House, all have the sizes of the bags marked, painted on the floor for easy reference. Easy peasy !

 

My Big C does not mark on the floor, but Tesco do. I just buy the biggest ones, always room for more rubbish from smaller bins in the house then. 

[billd766]

19 hours ago, Grusa said:

It's not that simple!

 

Makros' 15"x30" bags are folded at that size BUT they have gussets at each side 4" wide, so their circumference is 2 x 15"+ 4 x 4" = 46", giving a bin diameter of 46÷π =14.6 or less, or a square bin of 46÷4= 11½" per side or less.

Although they are 30" long, the handle cut-out is 6", and the bottom will require 7½", so the maximum height of the bin will be 30"-13½"= 16½". And that leaves no slack to seal the bag!

 

I will leave it to you, dear reader, to perform these calculations for all the other sizes.

 

Short answer, the size printed on the packet bears little or no intuitive relationship to the size of the bin. Suck it and see, then remember the size you need!

 

 

The easy way for me is when the bag looks full just shove the trash down. If it doesn't go down, remove the bag, tie it up and put a new bag in its place. If you have to keep doing it put a bigger bag in next time.

[Lucky Bones]

On 4/15/2022 at 7:28 PM, billd766 said:

I normally use 36x45 inch black bags to go to the trash man and either 15x30 or 12x20 inch white bags for the internal bins.

 

I empty the white bags into the black bags on Tuesday evenings and take them down to the trash bin as the binmen are usually there around 05 dark on Wednesdays and to early for me to catch them.

 

I buy the bags at Makro.

 

I had to have 2 beers to understand the issue, 2 beers to understand the problem and another 3 beers to understand the math.

Still not sure what the  solution (or problem) is?

Love these threads.

[MrJ2U]

5 hours ago, itsari said:

I separate all food waste as the local dogs will tear into the bags when placed on the street for collection . Also food waste is making the bag heavy and very smelly . I make compost with the food waste 

I also separate glass , plastic and  cardboard which the rubbish collectors are very grateful for . Because of that they take away the odd bag of building waste . 

Bag size is important for keeping the weight down for the men to throw onto the truck . I buy bags 25x30 that suits the job at 50 baht a pack .

 

Same problems here with the dogs.

 

They've got issued regulated garbage cans with secure lids.

 

I just put the bags in all the different garbage resepticles in our house and throw them in the city garbage cans.

 

We separate most recycle and the people split the recycle rebate between them and Yai, about 60 baht each.

 

Before that they used have an open air garbage dump next to the school.

 

All same time getting paid by the government to collect it and take it to a licensed dump.  Big scam until we made a big stink!

Edited April 17, 2022 by MrJ2U

[bankruatsteve]

5 minutes ago, Lucky Bones said:

Still not sure what the  solution (or problem) is?

It was meant to be informative for what I think are many who have no clue what size bag should fit a particular container.   I wasn't trying to take the fun out of picking out a bag by guess and repeating until finding the correct one.

 

Cheers.

[Lucky Bones]

20 minutes ago, bankruatsteve said:

It was meant to be informative for what I think are many who have no clue what size bag should fit a particular container.   I wasn't trying to take the fun out of picking out a bag by guess and repeating until finding the correct one.

 

Cheers.

No worries, nothing personal. It just tickled my nether parts.

Cheers too. L. B.

[Grusa]

3 hours ago, billd766 said:

The easy way for me is when the bag looks full just shove the trash down. If it doesn't go down, remove the bag, tie it up and put a new bag in its place. If you have to keep doing it put a bigger bag in next time.

Yes but.....if the bag is too small for the bin, you have a problem, and potentially a mess. If it's too big, it 's wasteful and untidy!

Life is too short to worry too much about it, unless you work for the RTP,  nod nod wink wink.

[billd766]

2 hours ago, Grusa said:

Yes but.....if the bag is too small for the bin, you have a problem, and potentially a mess. If it's too big, it 's wasteful and untidy!

Life is too short to worry too much about it, unless you work for the RTP,  nod nod wink wink.

When the bag is full I take it out, tie it up and just put another bag into the bin.

[bbko]

Once I find the correct size for my trash bin, I tape a old wrapper to the side, works for me;

 

[OneMoreFarang]

Instead of opening a new thread: Does anybody of you know where to buy big transparent heavy duty garbage bags? I want to put them in a dust extractor (big vacuum cleaner). And they should be transparent so that I can see from outside how full it is.

Where like which big shop chain or online.

[bbko]

4 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Instead of opening a new thread: Does anybody of you know where to buy big transparent heavy duty garbage bags? I want to put them in a dust extractor (big vacuum cleaner). And they should be transparent so that I can see from outside how full it is.

Where like which big shop chain or online.

My Thai wife buys large clear plastic bags to store extra blankets/clothes, she buys them at those local 20b stores and they come in many sizes.