Dumpster Size And Capacity: Everything You Need To Know Before Choosing A Dumpster

There are many different types and styles of dumpsters, including roll-off, commercial, and garbage. The type you choose will primarily depend on what you want to throw away. Roll-off dumpsters are ideal for construction waste. Commercial dumpsters are great for households or businesses that throw away a lot of trash. And garbage dumpsters/compactors are necessary for grocery stores and apartment complexes where massive amounts of garbage is thrown away daily. 

Regardless of what type of dumpster you choose, you will also have to choose a size, which can be challenging if you don't understand how dumpsters are sized. Following is everything you need to know about dumpster size and capacity. 

Dumpster Size

Most dumpsters are sized in feet and according to their length. For example, a 10-foot dumpster is approximately 10 feet in length. Some dumpsters may be sized according to how many cubic yards of debris they can hold. These are labeled with the word "yard" at the end. For example, a 20-yard dumpster holds 20 cubic yards of debris. Dumpsters are available in all sizes, ranging from the very small to the very large. Some of the largest dumpsters can hold up to 40 cubic yards. Some of the smallest will only hold a little over a dozen trash bags. 

Cubic Yard

So how much is a cubic yard exactly? A cubic yard is approximately 3 feet high by 3 feet wide by 3 feet long. To put this into perspective, a cubic yard of material will fill the bed of a full-sized pickup truck just a little over 7 1/2 inches deep. A full-sized truck can hold 2.5 cubic yards if the material is level with the top of the bed.

When you're talking trash bags, a cubic yard will accommodate about 15 standard kitchen-sized bags. When calculating how many cubic yards you need, it's important to keep in mind the types of things you are throwing away. Some items, like furniture, have a lot of dead empty or dead space that will have to be accounted for unless you plan to break the material down. 

When selecting a dumpster size, it's almost always a good idea to get a size larger than you expect you'll need. You don't want to run out of space at the end of your project. If you're not sure what size you need, your rental company should be able to help you figure it out. Visit websiteslike http://www.tri-statedisposal.com/ for more info.