Picking a size by location
- Bathroom — 1.3 to 3 gallons (5–11 L). Smaller is fine; bathroom waste is light.
- Bedroom / home office — 4 to 7 gallons (15–27 L). Goes about a week between emptying for one person.
- Kitchen, 1–2 people — 10 gallons (38 L) is plenty.
- Kitchen, 3–4 people — 13 gallons (49 L). The "tall kitchen" standard. Bag selection is best at this size.
- Kitchen, 5+ people — 16–20 gallons (60–76 L). Reduces bag changes during the week.
- Outdoor curbside, 1–2 people, weekly pickup — 32 gallons (120 L).
- Outdoor curbside, 3–4 people, weekly pickup — 64 gallons (240 L).
- Outdoor curbside, large household or biweekly pickup — 96 gallons (360 L).
Match the bag to the can
Bag labels list a gallon range. Buy bags whose range covers your can's capacity exactly — bags that are too small overhang the rim and tear; bags that are too large bunch at the bottom and waste plastic.
- Bathroom can (1–3 gal) — "small wastebasket" or "4-gallon" bags. True 1- and 2-gallon bags exist but are harder to find.
- Step can / office can (4–8 gal) — "medium" or "8-gallon" bags.
- Kitchen can (13 gal) — "tall kitchen" bags. Look for "drawstring" if your can has no inner liner ring; "flap-tie" or plain if it does.
- Large kitchen / utility (16–20 gal) — "large" or "20-gallon" bags.
- Outdoor 32-gal can — "lawn & leaf" bags (typically rated 33–39 gal).
- Outdoor 64- and 96-gal carts — rarely lined; trash goes in directly. If you do line them, use 55–60 gal contractor bags.
Bag dimensions matter too: a 13-gal bag rated for round cans is often a different shape than the rectangular tall-kitchen version. If the bag bunches in one direction, you have the wrong shape, not the wrong gallon size.
Cabinet and pull-out cans
Under-sink pull-outs are sized to a cabinet, not to gallons. Measure the cabinet's interior width, depth, and height before choosing:
- 15″ cabinet — single 8–13 gal pull-out.
- 18″ cabinet — single 13 gal or dual 5+5 gal (trash + recycling).
- 21–24″ cabinet — dual 13+13 gal or larger.
Subtract the door thickness (about 3/4″ per side) and any plumbing intrusion before checking the can's listed footprint. Cans that say "fits 18-inch cabinets" usually need 16.5–17″ of clear interior.
Common mistakes
- Buying a 13-gal can without checking the lid clearance. A step can needs 30–36″ of headroom for the lid to fully open. Under-counter spots are often too short.
- Lining a 1-gallon bathroom can with a kitchen-sized bag. The bag overflows the rim and looks bad. Pick the right size.
- Outdoor can too big to wheel when full. A full 96-gal cart can weigh 200+ lb. If your driveway has a curb step, drop to 64 gal.
- Skipping the lid on outdoor cans. Open cans get ransacked by raccoons and birds within a week.