Garden waste bags take a harder beating than any kitchen bin liner. Wet grass, soil, hedge stems and rose prunings are heavy, sharp or both, so the sack you choose decides whether the job ends in a tidy row of tied bags or a split one on the path. Pack Solution stocks two black polythene sacks that suit a garden clear-up, plus a utility knife for the jobs around them.
We do not sell reusable woven garden sacks, garden waste bins or compostable bags. If your council collects garden waste, it sets its own rules about what can go out and in which container, so check those before you fill a black sack for the kerb.
In This Guide
- Quick Picks: Garden Waste Bags for Every Job
- Which Garden Refuse Sacks Suit Which Waste
- Heavy Duty Garden Waste Bags for Soil, Turf and Hedges
- Lighter Sacks for Leaves and Grass Cuttings
- How to Fill and Lift Garden Refuse Bags Safely
- Packing Thorny and Sharp Garden Rubbish
- Council Collections and Other Ways to Get Rid of Garden Waste
- Garden Waste Bags Checklist
- Stocking Up on Garden Refuse Bags Heavy Duty and Light
- Frequently Asked Questions
Quick Picks: Garden Waste Bags for Every Job
Start with the heavy duty sack for anything dense or spiky, and keep a roll of lighter sacks for leaves.
Best for soil, turf and hedge trimmings
Extra Heavy Duty Black Bin Bags
Large 180 gauge polythene sacks made for heavier, bulkier waste than standard sacks.
- 18 x 29 x 39in
- 180 gauge black polythene
- Box of 200
£22.00 ex VAT (£26.40 inc VAT)
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Best for leaves and light grass cuttings
Black Bin Bags 70L
General purpose 70 litre refuse sacks that tear off a roll one at a time.
- 15 x 29 x 33in, 70 litres
- 30 micron black polythene
- Rolls of 10, 20 or 50
From £2.90 ex VAT (£3.48 inc VAT)
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Best for cutting cardboard liners and tape
Utility Knives
Three box cutter models for cutting cardboard, tape and film, sold one at a time.
- Pacplus MRK metal retractable knife
- Pacplus CPK18 and Kinetix MDC18 take 18mm blades
- Sold per piece
From £1.90 ex VAT (£2.28 inc VAT)
Choose sizeView product- Extra Heavy Duty Black Bin Bags measure 18 x 29 x 39in and are 180 gauge polythene.
- They come in boxes of 200, and the price per box drops as you order more.
- Black Bin Bags 70L measure 15 x 29 x 33in, hold 70 litres and are 30 micron.
- The 70 litre sacks come on easy tear rolls of 10, 20 or 50.
- Utility knives come in three models and are sold one at a time.
- Orders placed by 2pm Monday to Friday are dispatched the same working day.
Which Garden Refuse Sacks Suit Which Waste
Match the sack to the weight and sharpness of the waste. Heavy, dense or thorny material needs the 180 gauge sack, while dry leaves and light grass are fine in a 70 litre sack.
| Garden waste | Sack to use | Why | Filling tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soil, turf and stones | Extra Heavy Duty Black Bin Bags | 180 gauge, made for heavier waste | A third full at most |
| Hedge trimmings and prunings | Extra Heavy Duty Black Bin Bags | 18 x 29 x 39in takes long, bulky cuttings | Cut stems short, ends pointing down |
| Roses, holly and bramble | Extra Heavy Duty Black Bin Bags | Thickest film in the range | Line with flat cardboard first |
| Wet grass cuttings | Either sack | Grass is light dry but heavy wet | Half full if the grass is wet |
| Dry leaves | Black Bin Bags 70L | 30 micron is enough for light, soft waste | Fill, then shake down |
| Weeds and small clippings | Black Bin Bags 70L | 15 x 29 x 33in, 70 litres | Shake soil off the roots first |
Gauge and micron are two ways of stating film thickness. The usual rule is four gauge to one micron, so 180 gauge works out at about 45 micron. That makes the extra heavy duty sack about half as thick again as the 30 micron sack. Our guide to choosing the right bin bag gauge explains the numbers in more detail.
Heavy Duty Garden Waste Bags for Soil, Turf and Hedges
For the heavy end of gardening, use Extra Heavy Duty Black Bin Bags. They are 180 gauge black polythene and measure 18 x 29 x 39in, which is the biggest and thickest sack we sell.
These work as heavy duty garden waste sacks for the jobs that split thinner bags: digging out a border, lifting old turf, clearing a hedge or pulling up a rockery. The extra length means long hedge cuttings fit without being snapped into tiny pieces, and the black film hides what is inside once the neck is tied.
They come in boxes of 200, so they make most sense for a big project or for regular work. A landscaper, a tree surgeon or a site team clearing a plot will get through a box faster than a household doing one weekend tidy. For a large garden, a box also covers a full season of hedge cutting and autumn leaf clearing, with plenty left for a garage clear-out.
If you are comparing strong garden refuse sacks from different sellers, the gauge or micron figure is the number to look at. Words such as tough and strong are not a measurement. A sack that states 180 gauge, as ours does, gives you a figure you can compare. That figure is also what to ask for when a supplier lists big garden waste bags by capacity alone, because a large sack made from thin film is easy to overfill and split.
Good to know: A thicker sack does not make heavy waste lighter to carry. A sack full of soil can be far heavier than you can lift safely, whatever its gauge, so fill dense material only part way.
Lighter Sacks for Leaves and Grass Cuttings
For soft, light waste, Black Bin Bags 70L are enough. Each sack is 15 x 29 x 33in, holds 70 litres and is made from 30 micron black polythene.
Dry leaves, dead flower heads, small weeds and light grass cuttings do not need an extra heavy duty sack. A 70 litre sack holds a good armful and is easy to carry once tied. The sacks come on easy tear rolls, so you pull one off at a time, which is handy with gloves on.
A roll of 10 suits a single autumn tidy. A roll of 20 or 50 suits a household that does a little every weekend, or a small business keeping a stock for the grounds and the bins indoors. Our full guide to bin bags and refuse sacks covers indoor use as well.
These are general purpose bin bags for garden waste of the lighter kind. For anything with thorns, soil or stones, step up to the 180 gauge sack.
How to Fill and Lift Garden Refuse Bags Safely
Fill garden sacks by weight, not by space. A sack that looks half empty can already be too heavy to carry when the waste is wet or dense.
- Put on gloves before you handle prunings, brambles or soil.
- Stand the sack in a bucket, bin or box so it stays open while you fill it.
- Load heavy material such as soil or turf first, and only a third of the way up.
- Top up with lighter waste such as leaves if there is space left.
- Leave enough room at the top to twist the neck and tie a knot.
- Lift with your knees bent and the sack close to your body. If it is a strain, tip some out.
- Carry the sack by the tied neck and support the base, rather than dragging it across paving.
Dragging wears through polythene quickly, especially on concrete and gravel. For large garden waste bags full of hedge trimmings, a wheelbarrow saves your back and the sack. If waste is wet, let grass cuttings dry for a day before bagging, as dry grass weighs much less.
Large garden rubbish bags are only useful if you can move them once they are full. Two part-filled sacks are better than one that splits on the way to the car.
Packing Thorny and Sharp Garden Rubbish
Sharp stems are the main reason a garden rubbish bag fails, so protect the inside of the sack and cut stems short before they go in.
Rose, holly, pyracantha and bramble cuttings will push through thin film. Use the extra heavy duty sack, and line its inside wall with a sheet of flattened cardboard from an old delivery box. The card takes the points and the polythene stays whole. A utility knife cuts cardboard to size quickly. The Pacplus MRK has a metal body and a retractable blade, while the CPK18 and the Kinetix MDC18 both take 18mm blades.
Cut long stems into short lengths with secateurs and lay them in with the cut ends pointing down. Never press thorny waste down with your hand or foot; shake the sack instead. Retract or cover the knife blade after every cut, and cut away from your body. Our utility knife guide compares the three models.
Heavy duty garden refuse sacks still need care with branches thicker than a finger. Snap or cut those into short pieces, or bundle them separately.
Council Collections and Other Ways to Get Rid of Garden Waste
Every council sets its own garden waste rules, so check yours before you put sacks out. Some councils run a paid garden waste collection using their own bin or sack, and some will not take garden waste in black bags at all.
Black polythene sacks are for carrying and storing waste. They do not replace a council garden waste bin or any council sack that a collection scheme asks you to use. If your council does not collect black garden refuse bags, the usual options are:
- Take the sacks to a household waste recycling centre and empty them into the green waste skip.
- Book a council bulky waste or garden waste collection, if your council offers one.
- Hire a licensed waste carrier for a large clear-out.
- Compost soft waste such as leaves and grass at home.
Many recycling centres ask you to empty garden waste out of the sack and take the sack home, so tie the necks in a way you can undo. A sack that comes back empty can often be used again for the next load.
As said above, we do not sell reusable woven garden sacks, compostable bags or garden waste bins. If you need those for a council scheme, your council will tell you where to get them.
Garden Waste Bags Checklist
- Use a 180 gauge sack for soil, turf, stones and thorny prunings.
- Use a 70 litre, 30 micron sack for leaves and light clippings.
- Fill dense waste only a third of the way up.
- Line sacks for thorny waste with flat cardboard.
- Cut long stems short and point the ends down.
- Wear gloves and lift with your knees bent.
- Carry or wheel sacks rather than dragging them.
- Check your council's garden waste rules before you put anything out.
Stocking Up on Garden Refuse Bags Heavy Duty and Light
Most gardens need two sizes: a box of strong garden waste bags for the heavy jobs and a roll of 70 litre sacks for leaves and weekly tidying. Large bags for garden waste are worth keeping in the shed so a hedge cut or border dig never stops halfway. Large garden refuse sacks and lighter rolls are both in the refuse sacks collection, and the cleaning and hygiene range covers indoor supplies. Free Royal Mail Tracked 48 delivery applies to every order with no minimum, and the shipping details are on the shipping policy page. If you are wrapping presents later in the year, our guide to gift wrapping paper rolls covers kraft paper from the same warehouse.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best garden waste bags for soil and turf?
Use the thickest sack you can get and fill it only part way. Extra Heavy Duty Black Bin Bags are 180 gauge polythene and measure 18 x 29 x 39in, which is the heaviest sack in our range. Soil and turf are dense, so a third to a half full is usually as much as one person should lift.
Will my council collect garden refuse sacks?
That depends on your council. Each one sets its own rules for garden waste, and many collect only from their own bin or sack. Check your council's website before you put black sacks out. If they will not take them, a household waste recycling centre is the usual alternative.
How thick should heavy duty garden waste sacks be?
For thorny prunings, soil and rubble, choose an extra heavy duty sack. Ours are 180 gauge, roughly 45 micron by the usual rule of four gauge to one micron. The 70 litre sacks are 30 micron, which is fine for leaves and light grass but not for sharp or heavy waste.
How many bags come in a box of large garden refuse sacks?
The Extra Heavy Duty Black Bin Bags come in boxes of 200, all one size, 18 x 29 x 39in. The lighter 70 litre sacks come on rolls of 10, 20 or 50, so a household can buy a small roll for one clear-up.
Do you sell reusable woven garden bags?
No. We do not stock reusable woven garden sacks, garden waste bins or compostable bags. Our garden options are black polythene refuse sacks: the 180 gauge extra heavy duty sack and the 70 litre 30 micron sack on a roll.
How do I stop thorns tearing a garden rubbish bag?
Wear gloves, cut long stems into short lengths and point the cut ends down into the sack. A sheet of flattened cardboard around the inside wall gives the polythene extra protection. Use an extra heavy duty sack for roses, holly and bramble, and do not press the waste down by hand.
