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Recycling Bin Sizes and Liners: How to Choose | Hygiene Direct

Date: 22-10-2026
Blogs Environmental Sustainability

 

Two questions come up every time a workplace sets up recycling: how big should the bins be, and which liners fit them? Get the first one wrong and bins overflow or sit half empty. Get the second one wrong and liners slip, split or go to waste. Here is how to work both out.

Litres are only part of the story

Bins and liners are sold by capacity, but they fit by shape. A liner labelled for a given number of litres will not suit every bin of that size, because bins can be tall and slim or short and wide. Always compare the liner's dimensions with the bin's, and check the maker's liner guidance where it gives some.

For example, the Sabco EnviroPlastic Deluxe recycling station is a 40L bin that measures about 38 x 24.5 x 60.5cm. Its sell sheet says it is compatible with 40L and 60L liners, and its bag retention rim holds the liner in place and hides it from view.

How big should a recycling bin be?

Work through these questions for each station:

  1. How much waste does this area produce each day? A kitchen with a busy lunchroom produces far more than a meeting-room corridor.
  2. How often can you empty it? If the bin is emptied every evening, size it for a day. If it is emptied weekly, size it for the week or add bins.
  3. How heavy will it get? Glass and wet food scraps are heavy, while paper and cardboard are light. A bin that is too large for a heavy stream can be hard to lift.
  4. How much room do you have? Check the footprint against your floor space, and leave room to open the lid.
  5. Should it be one large bin or several smaller ones? Several smaller bins can suit a site with multiple stations and spread the load.

If a bin overflows before you empty it, move up a size, add a second bin or empty it more often. If it is mostly empty when you empty it, you can usually go smaller.

Choosing liners

  • Fit: match the liner to the bin by dimensions, not litres alone. The liner should reach over the rim without being much longer than the bin is deep.
  • Strength: heavier waste calls for a stronger liner.
  • Colour: some contractors prefer clear or particular colours for particular streams, so check before you buy in bulk.
  • Compostable liners: councils decide whether to accept compostable liners in food scraps bins, and the Ministry for the Environment advises choosing liners that are certified compostable. Check with your contractor first.
  • Recycled content: Best Purple bags are made in Palmerston North from 100% recycled plastic, a mix of post-consumer and post-industrial used pallet wrap. For the Sabco Deluxe 40L, our pick is the HD Best Purple Recycled 60L bag, 630 x 900mm, 30 micron, in a pack of 50. That is the 60L size the bin's sell sheet says it takes.

Go all the way with Best Purple. Line every bin at the station, rubbish included, with a Best Purple recycled bag. The purple colour shows staff and visitors that your business is recycling in New Zealand, and businesses that use Best Purple receive a certificate for their wall. Our complete guide to recycled rubbish bags tells you more. Ask your contractor first how recycling must be presented, because some want it loose rather than bagged. If so, use the liner to carry the contents to the main bin and tip them in.

You can also browse our small liners, large liners and black rubbish bags. If your bin falls between sizes, check the liner dimensions on the product page against your bin before you order.

Fitting a liner with a retention rim

Bins with a bag retention system are quick to fit once you know the steps, and the sell sheet for the Sabco Deluxe recycling station shows them:

  1. Remove the internal rim.
  2. Place the bin liner inside the bin and wrap it over the rim.
  3. Insert the rim back into the bin.
  4. The liner is now secure and hidden from view.

Common mistakes

  • Oversized liners: they waste plastic and bunch at the bottom.
  • Undersized liners: they slip into the bin when it is filled.
  • Mixing streams in one bag: a bag should hold one stream only, so it is not rejected as contaminated.
  • Overfilling: heavy or overfull bags split and are hard to lift safely.
  • Not keeping spares nearby: if the next bag is hard to find, bins get used without one.

See all our recycling bins, or open a trade account with Hygiene Direct for bulk pricing.

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