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Trash cans may interrupt the vibe an otherwise beautifully designed bedroom sanctuary, or take up floor space where you least want them to but one thing is for sure: Like it or not, trash cans are part of our everyday lives. We use them all the time, and every home has at least a few of them. With these rubbish receptacles being such a normal part of our days, it only makes sense to know their typical sizes and the rooms in the home that they’re best suited for.
Trash can sizes are described by volume and measured in gallons or liters. Once you have a better idea of the most common trash can sizes, you’ll be in a better position to choose the best trash can for any room in the house—and the right can sizes for your outdoor use, too.
1. 1- to 4-Gallon Trash Can
These small receptacles include the typical bathroom trash can as well as countertop composting containers and bins that can be suspended from a countertop, hung inside a cabinet, or mounted to a wall. Not only are these real space-savers, but their small size encourages frequent emptying, which cuts down on odors. Trash cans in this size range are also handy for lint disposal by the dryer or use in any room where small bits of trash accumulate slowly. Bathroom trash cans often come with hands-free lids, whether in the form of a sensor or a foot-activated lever, allowing the user to throw out waste without touching the can. They’re also available with swinging or tightly sealing lids, or no lid at all. Expect heights to top out around 15 inches with the lid closed, depending on the configuration and capacity of the can.
Note: If you’re shopping for a lidded trash can for a tight space, make sure there will be enough room for the lid to open fully.
Best For: Bathrooms, kitchen compost, hanging or wall-mounted kitchen bins, bedrooms
Our Recommendations:
For bathrooms: Simplehuman 1.2-Gallon Round Stainless Steel Step-On Trash Can at Amazon for $29.99 This highly rated receptacle features a removable inner bucket for easy disposal and comes in four finishes, including fingerprint-proof stainless.
For narrow spaces: Cesun 1.6-Gallon Small Bathroom Stainless Steel Trash Can With Lid, Soft Close and Step-On at Amazon for $34.97 Offering the twin convenience of a removable inner bucket and a narrow footprint, this rectangular can works well in tight spaces—for instance, next to the dryer or in that awkward spot between the toilet and vanity.
For bedrooms: Umbra Woodrow 2-Gallon Wooden Trash Can at Umbra for $30 This stylish wooden trash can has an integrated handle and comes in a range of appealing colors.
2. 5- to 8-Gallon Trash Can
The 5- to 8-gallon trash can is a popular trash can size that works well in larger bathrooms, home offices, rec rooms, and even small kitchens. This is also a good option for a recycling bin stashed in a kitchen cabinet. Trash cans in this size range vary widely in height and style, offering an opportunity to use an otherwise utilitarian accessory to add a little whimsy or decorative flair to a room.
A trash can at the low end of this range could also be a practical addition to an entryway. Elissa Hall, lead designer at vacation rental management firm awning.com, notes, “Rather than allowing trash mail and packaging to clutter living areas, a compact, fashionable bin in the entryway is quite useful for disposal as you enter your home.”
Best for: Larger bathrooms, small kitchens, offices
Our recommendations:
For the bathroom: Amazon Basics 5.3-Gallon Cylindrical Trash Can at Amazon for $49.31 A solid choice that ticks all the boxes: foot pedal operation, soft-close lid, brushed stainless steel finish, and a removable pail for easy clean-up.
For a small kitchen: Brabantia 8-Gallon NewIcon Step Trash Can at Brabantia for $105 A slim profile, colors that range from staid to playful, and a removable inner bucket make this a stylish option.
For a home office: Rubbermaid Commercial Products Concept Collection Mesh Metal Trash Can at Amazon for $17.97 Just under 14 inches tall, this 5-gallon silver mesh basket fits tidily under a desk. The epoxy-coated steel receptacle has a vinyl ring at the bottom to protect floors from scratches.
3. 10- to 20-Gallon Trash Can
The 10- to 20-gallon trash can is the real workhouse in the trash collecting world. This is the size of the typical kitchen trash can, big enough to handle food scraps, food packaging, discarded paper goods, and other household garbage, but not so big that it takes up too much floor space. In the kitchen, this size trash can is almost always used with a standard 13-gallon trash bag or can liner, which keeps the can cleaner and makes trash disposal easier.
Depending on the size of a kitchen trash can and the configuration of the kitchen, the trash can may sit on the floor or be installed inside a cabinet and roll out on tracks. If kept out in plain sight, the kitchen trash can usually has a lid, typically operated by a pedal, touch, motion, or even voice. Hall recommends avoiding the tired, old plastic can with a swinging lid, or no lid at all: “The traditional fragile plastic bin…seems antiquated and sometimes attracts unpleasant comments.
This size trash can is also a good fit in a craft room or homework space, and is a nice size for collecting recycling.
Best for: Kitchens, craft rooms, recycling
Our recommendation: Simplehuman 10-Gallon Rectangular Kitchen Step Trash Can at Amazon for $99.99
A perennial online favorite, the Simplehuman can is available in brushed stainless steel, matte black, or white. The hinge on the quiet, slow-close lid prevents it from banging against the wall, and the lid can be set to stay open as long as needed, making it easier to change the trash bag.
4. 30- to 48-Gallon Trash Can
Cans in the 30- to 48-gallon size range are usually found outside, where their main job is to hold multiple bags of garbage securely beneath a lid until trash day.
These large outdoor trash cans can serve other purposes too. They’re great in the home workshop and for collecting yard debris like leaves and sticks. These are also the cans you stick out by the deck or porch when you’re hosting a party so your guests can toss out their discarded paper plates and other trash. Cans in this size range are usually a good fit for standard outdoor trash and contractor-style garbage bags.
Best For: Outdoor trash and yard debris
Our Recommendations:
Loose lid: Roughneck 32-Gallon Easy Out Wheeled Trash Can at The Home Depot for $34.97 The Roughneck 32-gallon trash can features plenty of volume and built-in wheels for easy rolling.
Hinged lid: Rubbermaid Commercial Products Brute Rollout Trash Can With Wheels at Amazon for $160.45 It’s pricey, but this 32-gallon can is also extremely sturdy. It features durable wheels and a hinged lid, and it’s compatible with automated curbside collection (but first check with your municipality).
5. 64- to 96-Gallon Trash Can
Very large trash cans, like those in the 64- to 96-gallon range, are for wheeling to the curb on trash day. They usually have large wheels and handles that make them easy to move. They usually feature hinged lids to trap odors and keep pests away; the attached lid has the added benefit of not getting lost or damaged on trash day.
Smaller households may be fine with a 64-gallon trash can (or even a can or two in the 32-gallon range) to handle a week’s worth of garbage, or several weeks’ worth of recycling. Cans larger than 64 gallons are best reserved for very large households or those with every-other-week trash pickup since they hold a lot of garbage.
Best for: Trash storage and garbage pickup services
Our recommendation: Toter Black 96-Gallon Can at The Home Depot for $124
With built-in wheels, a hinged lid, plenty of volume, and sturdy construction, the Toter 96-gallon can is great for large families or households with biweekly trash pickup. It’s designed to be compatible with automated and semi-automated curbside collection (but check with your municipality first).
When Does the Trash Can Really Need a Lid?
Outdoor garbage cans require lids, and hinged lids are usually best because loose lids are so easily lost or damaged. But do you need a lid for indoor trash cans? There are certainly rooms where a lid might get in the way of easy access to the can, such as kids’ rooms, the home office, or a rec room. But in any of the following situations, you probably want to opt for a lid:
- Wherever odor control is important, especially in kitchens and bathrooms
- Wherever food regularly gets tossed out, even if that’s a rec room or game room
- Wherever pests are a problem, such as bugs and mice in the kitchen
- Wherever pets like to graze, whether they swipe a chicken bone from the kitchen trash or smelly tissues from the bathroom
- Wherever aesthetics matter: Do you really want guests looking at your used cotton swabs?
Prices listed here are accurate as of February 11, 2025.
