Many janitorial companies supply trash can liners to their customers. So how do you know what to recommend? Trash can liners used to be judged by overall thickness. Now, however, they are broken down into the types of resin: low-density, linear low-density, and density polyethylene. To understand liners, it is important to become familiar with the basics of trash can liners.



* If you need a liner that resists tears and is puncture resistant, you need one that is a linear low-density polyethylene. These work well for trash that has sharp and jagged edges.

* If a lower gauge is suitable for your situation, a high-density polyethylene liner is a better choice.

* A resin that is still used in lower end liners is low-density polyethylene. Many manufacturers no longer use this type of resin.

* Gauge is a term that describes the thickness of a liner. A low-density liner is measured in mils and high-density liners are measured in microns.

* A mil is a measurement based on thousandths of an inch, .000. An example is a 50 mil bag would be 50 thousands of an inch. Low-density liners range from .37 to 2 mil in thickness.

* A micron one hundred thousandths of an inch. Most high-density liners range from 6 to 22 microns.

The type of trash can liner you need depends on the type of building you are cleaning and the waste that you're collecting. Linear low-density can liners, which come in various colors, are good for multipurpose applications. They are puncture and stretch resistant when compared to high-density liners. Low-density can liners are the most widely used liners in industry today.

High-density trash can liners are more durable than the same thickness of polyethylene liners. In addition they are up to three times stronger. High-density liners need less petroleum in the manufacturing process so they are about one third the thickness of low-density polyethylene liners. When high-density liners are properly made they will rarely "zipper" if punctured. Because of the manufacturing process these liners are generally more cost-effective than other types of liners.

Once you decide on the proper liner, make sure to measure the waste receptacles for the correct liner size. For the bag width, measure 1/2 of the outer circumference of the container. Measure bag length by taking the height of the container, then adding 1/2 of the diameter of the bottom of the container (measure 1/2 of the diagonal for square containers), and then adding another 3 inches to allow for overhang.

Choosing the right supplies will be a positive reflection on your cleaning business and will help keep your buildings looking neat and professional. And if you sell supplies to your customers, they will appreciate your knowledge and recommendations.