• Home /
  • Blog List /
  • Recycled vs Standard Bin Liners NZ: What Changes?

Recycled vs Standard Bin Liners NZ: What Changes?

Date: 16-10-2026
Blogs Environmental Sustainability

 

If you’re thinking about switching to recycled rubbish bags, the first question is usually “what’s the catch?” Here’s the honest answer.

What stays the same

  • Your bins and routine. A recycled bag goes in the same bin the same way. Pick the size that fits your bin.
  • How you order. You order on the same trade account, with the same NZ-wide delivery.

What changes

  • The source of the plastic. Standard bags are made from new plastic. Recycled bags are made from plastic that has already been used. Our Best Purple Recycled Bags are made from 100% recycled plastic, a mix of post-consumer and post-industrial used pallet wrap, recycled in Palmerston North.
  • The colour. Ours are purple, on purpose. It lets staff, visitors and auditors see that you’re using recycled bags.
  • Your story. A recycled bag is something you can point to when someone asks about your environmental policy. Customers using Best Purple also receive a Certificate of Positive Environmental Impact to display.

What to check before you switch

  • Thickness. Bag thickness is measured in microns (mu). Our 60L, 80L and 240L bags are 30mu, and the 120L is 33mu. Choose a thickness that suits what you put in the bag, and tell us if you have heavy or sharp waste.
  • Size. A bag that’s too small slips or tears, and one that’s too big wastes plastic. Our bin liner size guide will help. 
  • The claim. Ask any supplier where the recycled material comes from and how much of the bag it makes up. Our guide to checking recycled bag claims lists the questions. 

Is it worth switching?

If you’re a school, hotel, council, clinic or any business with an environmental policy, recycled bags are one of the easiest changes to make visible. Try one size first and see how your team finds them.

To see how the loop works, read How a Pallet Wrap Becomes a Rubbish Bag, or go to our complete guide to recycled rubbish bags.

Try Best Purple Recycled Bags or open a trade account.

Related Articles