|
Introduction
When it comes to trash garbage bags there is a lot of information to consider when making a choice for your application. There are different types of resins and technology that make some stronger than others. Understanding why you should use a linear low density, high density or super hexane bag is critical. Also there are different types of bottom seals that will make a difference in the strength of your bag. Understanding concepts like recycled materials, degradable and compostable materials will help you make the correct decision also. There are specialty trash bags for biohazard materials that must meet specific DOT regulations. You will see that there are different words to describe trash bags, for example: trash bag, garbage bag, can liner, refuse liner, degradable bag, and compostable bag. You can also use our SupplyTime Can Liners Guide under Product Guides for information. Brands We Offer
At Cleaning Products World a division of SupplyTime.com we feature brands, such as: Jaguar Plastics, Heritage, Hefty, Glad, Boardwalk, EarthSense, Stout, Penny Lane/Pitt Plastics, Platinum Plus, Classic Clear, Draw’n Tie, Handi Bag, Blue Collar, RePrime, Ultra Plus, GEN, Interplast, General Supply, Warp’s, and Good’n Tuff. Each brand offers unique features and benefits. Brand Performance Grades Superior: Super Hexene: Platinum Plus, Classic Clear, Draw’n Tie Premium: High Density & Linear Low Density: Jaguar Plastics, Heritage, Hefty, Glad, Interplast Group, Warp’s, Good’n Tuff, Penny Lane, RePrime Economical: High Density, Linear Low Density & Low Density: Boardwalk, GEN, General Supply, Ultra Plus, Handi Bag, Blue Collar Recycled: EarthSense, Hefty Renew, Heritage Repro, Jaguar Repro, Penny Lane Pitts Plastics Repro, Stout 100% Recycled Biodegradable: Stout Eco-Degradable Compostable: Stout Eco-Safe 6400 Drawstring Category
Do you need an easy convenient trash bag? Try a drawstring or flap tie trash bag. Easy built in flaps or drawstrings allow you to tie the bag up easily and securely. Hefty Ultra Flex and Glad Force Flex add stretchable strength, texture and puncture resistance. Tired of those garbage odors in your kitchen? Try the Hefty Odor Block® and Glad Odor Shield® with Frebreeze® garbage bags; they neutralize odors without adding unwanted scents. Choose from medium to heavy duty grades for kitchen, heavy industrial and outdoor use. Health Care Category
Highly visible biohazard can liners quickly warn you of hazardous contents. They are typically bright red or bright yellow depending on the contents. The can liner is printed with the biohazard symbol and warnings are printed in English and Spanish. Biohazard bags must meet specific DOT requirements. Hazardous items must be isolated in healthcare facilities, doctor’s offices, dentist’s offices, hospitals, laboratories and other industries dealing with hazardous waste. They can hold wet or dry biohazard waste. For sharp biohazard waste you may be required to use sharp disposal containers. Jaguar Plastics and Heritage offer high quality biohazard bags in various sizes. Recycled Plastic Category
Concerned about the environment? We all share a responsibility to preserve our environment, remember the key words “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle”. Here you can choose from recycled, degradable or compostable trash garbage bags. Using recycled materials saves our natural resources and produces less waste for our landfills. Manufacturers use a percentage of pre-consumer and post-consumer waste. Post-consumer waste is said to have more environmental benefits because if not used it will end up in our landfills, while pre-consumer waste is almost always used by manufacturers for other various products. Degradable trash bags will degrade in a landfill over time, typically 18 to 24 months and biodegrade in about 36 months, depending on oxygen levels and microbial activity. Compostable bags are manufactured specifically for organic waste and must be sent to a commercial composting facility. Commercial degradation is normally 10 to 45 days and biodegrade is less than 6 months. Super Hexene Category
With Super Hexene resin the can liner is thinner but a much stronger film and therefore produces less plastic waste for our environment. Super Hexene can liners are for the toughest jobs and have maximum strength, tear and puncture resistance. They feature star seal bottoms, the strongest bottom seal available. Star seal bottoms distribute weight evenly and are leak resistant. Super Hexene can liners are up to 50% stronger than comparable linear low density can liners. They are ideal for heavy, irregular shaped waste, including sharp objects. The Platinum Plus® brand boast that their Super Hexene can liners hold up to 200 pounds! High & Low Density Can Liners
High density (HDPE) can liners, although strong, are not recommended for sharp waste, they are prone to zippering. This happens when a puncture in the bag tears the length of the bag and it unzips. For sharp waste, use linear low density (LLDPE) trash can liners; they provide puncture and tear resistance. High density can liners sound noisy when you crinkle them and have no stretch; linear low density can liners are quiet and have stretch. Measuring Bag Thickness: Microns and Mils
High density thickness is measured in microns and low density thickness is measured in mils, the higher the number the thicker the bag. But thickness is not necessarily a determination of strength when it comes to linear low density. Linear low density produces a thinner can liner but it is stronger and more durable than the thicker low density trash can liners. Presently most manufacturers will refer to the can liner as light, medium, heavy or extra heavy verses stating just gauge thickness. Mil - A unit of measurement in the English system that is measured in thousandths of an inch. (i.e., .001 = one thousandth of an inch or 1.0 mil)
Micron - A unit of measurement in the metric system that is equal to one thousandth of a millimeter. Converting Microns to Mils & Mils to Microns
Microns to Mils Formula: Divide the microns by 25.4 to arrive at milthickness. Example: 10 Microns ÷ 25.4 = .39 Mil Mils to Microns Formula: Multiply the mils by 25.4 to arrive at mic thickness. (1 Mil = 25.4 Microns) Example: .30 Mil x 25.4 = 7.6 Microns Finding the correct bag size (Width x Length)
If you know the gallon size of your container match it to the gallon size of the can liner. If you don’t know the gallon size, use the following formulas. For round containers:
a, Bag Width = Container Rim Circumference divided by 2, + 1 inch for a looser fit b, Circumference = Rim Diameter x 3.14 c, Length = Container Height + Diameter + 5 inches for overhang. Example: Container Size: 12” Diameter x 30” High Width: 12” dia. x 3.14 = 37.68”, 37.68”/2 = 18.84 +1” = 19.84” W Length: 30 + 12 + 5” = 47” L Bag Size = 20 x 47” For square or rectangular containers:
a, Bag Width = Container Width + Depth + 2 inches for a looser fit b. Bag Length = Container Height + Depth + 6 inches to cover contents and tie the bag closed. Example: Container Size: 14w x 10d x 32” High Width: 14 + 10 + 2” = 26” <br> Length - 32 + 10 + 6” = 48” <br> <br> Bag Size = 26 x 48” Star Seals
The star seal is designed without gussets which eliminate gaps along the seal where leaks can occur. The bottom of the trash bag is folded over several times so the trash rests on the material instead of on the seals. The star seal holds wet trash better than flat and gusset seals. Star seal bottoms provide you with the strongest bottom seal available, so your waste won’t fall out or leak when you pick up the trash bag. The star sealed bottom also allows the trash bag to fit better in the trash container and distributes weight evenly around the bag. Star seal bottoms are designated in two dimensions, for example: 43 x 47 inch. A star seal is one of the most common types of seals in the market today. Gusset Seals
A gusset seal is a flat style bag designed with both sides tucked in to form gussets. Where it is indented the can liner has to be sealed through four layers, however the middle of the bag has only two layers. This can result in a weak bottom seal. Gusset can liners are measured in three dimensions, for example 24 x 17 x 48 inch. Flat Seals
A flat seal bag is just a two dimensional bag, for example 40 x 46 inch, with a bottom seal. While they are normally leak resistant, they are not as easy to handle and do not conform well in most trash containers. Packaging Options
Bulk flat packs or coreless rolls are available. Coreless rolls have a predetermined amount of liners which are separated by easy-tear perforations or interleaved. Each can liner comes off the roll open end first, ready for you to place in your receptacle. The pre-counted rolls allow you to easily manage your inventory. Distribute a roll, one at a time, and keep track of the inventory dispersed and the inventory remaining. The benefits create efficiency, control and organization. Bulk packs are handy also, depends on your preference. Both can be used in the commercial, industrial, institutional and healthcare sectors. Personally Speaking
I hope you found this helpful and would I would appreciate your comments. I prefer a strong quality trash bag for my home. The last thing I want to do is clean up a mess because my trash bag broke or leaked. It saves me time and money in the long run. I don’t have to feel like I have to double bag the garbage. I like the coreless rolls because I can distribute them throughout the house for quick access.
Have a great day
Maureen
Your SupplyTime Product Expert Definitions Blended Resin: Refers to the combination of two or more types of resin. Butene: One of three types of LLDPE resin. Butene has weaker film-strength properties than hexene or octene. Can Liner: Term used for garbage, trash or waste bags. Used in industrial, institutional and medical applications. Coreless Rolls: Can liners are rolled in groups of 10-50 per roll. Rolls tend to be perforated or interleaved. Film Strength: Refers to the physical strength of the can liner. Some resins have a higher film strength than others. For example, Heritage bags feature a very high quality resin. Gauge: Term used to describe thickness. LDPE and LLDPE can liners are measured by mil thickness and HMW-HDPE can liners are measured by micron thickness. Hexene: One of three types of LLDPE resin. Properties include high film strength and increased tear resistance. HAO (Higher Alpha Olefin resin): A high-grade hexene- or octene-based resin used in most LLD liners. The properties of this resin allow for a higher-quality can liner. HMW-HDPE (High Molecular Weight-High Density Polyethylene) Bags made from HMW-HDPE resin provide excellent film strength and puncture resistance, but less tear resistance than LLDPE. LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene): This resin was used with older can liner technology. Resin has good clarity but weak film strength. Today it is used primarily for Food and Utility Bags that don't require heavy loads. LLDPE (Linear Low Density Polyethylene): This is the primary type of resin used in modern can liner manufacturing technology. Bags made from LLDPE film provide excellent combination of film strength, puncture resistance and tear resistance. Micron: Term used in the measurement of HMW-HD can liners. 25.4 microns equals .001" microns (M) = 1mm. HMW-HDPE can liners are 6 to 24 microns. Mil: (One thousandths of an inch) Term used in the measurement of LDPE and LLDPE can liners. One mil is .001". Can liners range between .35 to 4.0 mil. Octene: One of three types of LLDPE resin. Used in manufacturing can liners, due to its excellent physical properties. Prime Resin: Refers to the usage of high-quality, "fresh from the reactor" resin. Regrind Resin (Repro): Refers to resin that has been used at least once before. Can be post-industrial (scrap) or post-consumer (recycling). Strength properties of resin is decreased each time it is reused. Resin: Short term for Polyethylene resin. The main types of PE resin are: Low Density Polyethylene, Linear Low Density Polyethylene, High Molecular Weight/High Density Polyethylene, and Higher Alpha Olefin resin. Seal: Term used to describe bottom of a can liner. The three types of seals are Flat, Gusset, and Star. Star Seal: Designed without gussets, the Star Seal eliminates gaps along the seal where leaks can occur. The bottom of the bag is folded over several times and sealed. Trash rests on the material instead of the seals. This leak-resistant seal holds wet trash better than the other two seal types. Wet Load Capacity: Measurement of how much wet weight a can liner will hold. |