Choosing the wrong commercial wheelie bin is one of the quietest ways Australian businesses overpay on waste. Too small and you are running expensive extra collections; too large and you are literally paying to lift empty air. This guide breaks down the five standard commercial bin sizes — 120L, 240L, 360L, 660L and 1100L — covering capacity, the floor space each needs, how many bags they hold, and which size genuinely suits a cafe, retail shop or warehouse.
The five standard commercial bin sizes
Australian general waste and recycling bins follow a consistent set of capacities. The two smaller sizes (120L and 240L) are the familiar two-wheel "wheelie" bins; from 660L up, you move into four-wheel mobile garbage bins (MGBs) designed for commercial back-of-house and high-density sites. Dimensions vary slightly between manufacturers, but the figures below are representative and good enough for planning a bin store.
| Bin size | Wheels | Approx. footprint (W x D) | Approx. height | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 120L | 2 | 0.48 x 0.55 m | 0.94 m | Small office, kiosk, low-volume tenancy |
| 240L | 2 | 0.58 x 0.74 m | 1.07 m | Small cafe, salon, boutique retail |
| 360L | 2 | 0.62 x 0.85 m | 1.10 m | Busy cafe, medical clinic, mid-size office |
| 660L | 4 | 1.26 x 0.77 m | 1.25 m | Restaurant, supermarket, large office floor |
| 1100L | 4 | 1.37 x 1.07 m | 1.36 m | Warehouse, hotel, shopping-strip shared bin |
A practical rule: budget the full footprint plus roughly 200–300 mm clearance around each bin so staff can manoeuvre it and the lid opens fully. For 660L and 1100L bins, also confirm the gate or roller-door width on the collection path — four-wheel bins are wheeled out to the truck, not carried.
Litres to bags: what each bin actually holds
Capacity in litres is abstract. It is easier to plan around bags. Using a typical 30L back-of-house bag, packed reasonably (not crushed), the working capacity looks like this:
- 120L — roughly 3–4 standard 30L bags
- 240L — roughly 7–8 bags
- 360L — roughly 10–12 bags
- 660L — roughly 20–22 bags
- 1100L — roughly 35–36 bags
These are guides, not guarantees. Light, bulky waste (cardboard, plastic packaging) fills a bin by volume long before it hits any weight limit, while wet or dense waste does the opposite. If your bins are visibly full but light, the answer is usually better recycling separation rather than a bigger general-waste bin — see our recycling guide for businesses.
Which bin size by business type
The right size depends on volume per collection, not just headcount. As a starting point for Melbourne businesses on a standard once- or twice-weekly service:
- Cafe (small): a 240L general waste plus a 240L recycling, lifted 2–3 times a week. High coffee-cup and packaging volume pushes many cafes to 360L quickly.
- Restaurant: a 660L general waste plus dedicated recycling, and increasingly a food-organics bin. Food waste is heavy and frequent — see our restaurant waste management guide.
- Boutique / specialty retail: 240L–360L general, with cardboard often outgrowing the bin — flat-pack or bale it rather than upsizing.
- Office (per floor): 360L–660L mixed recycling plus a smaller general bin; paper and containers dominate.
- Warehouse / light industrial: 1100L general waste, frequently paired with cardboard balers or a separate stream. See warehouse waste management.
Upsize the bin, or add a collection?
When a bin keeps overflowing, you have two levers: a larger bin, or a more frequent pick-up. The right choice comes down to space and weight.
| Choose a bigger bin when… | Choose more frequent collection when… |
|---|---|
| You have floor space for the larger footprint | Space is tight and a 1100L won't fit the bin store |
| Waste is light/bulky (packaging, cardboard) | Waste is wet, heavy or odorous (food, organics) |
| Overflow is occasional, not every cycle | You're consistently full before each scheduled lift |
| You want to cut the per-lift admin cost | Hygiene, pests or smell are the real problem |
For food-heavy sites, more frequent collection usually beats a bigger bin: a large bin sitting half-full for days becomes a pest and odour issue, and you still pay the lift fee. For dry, bulky waste, upsizing is almost always cheaper per litre. Either way, check that you are not paying for a service level you no longer use — many businesses are still on contracts sized for a busier era.
Right-sizing is where the savings hide
Bin size, lift frequency and the rate you pay per lift are the three numbers that set your bill. Most providers quote them as a bundle, which makes it hard to see whether you are overpaying. Our general waste cost guide for Melbourne and the cost-per-bin breakdown show typical ranges so you can sense-check your invoice.
As an independent broker, Bundle Waste benchmarks your current bin mix against a network of providers and renegotiates on your behalf — and we are paid only from the savings we find. If your bins are routinely over- or under-full, send us a recent invoice and we will tell you the right size, frequency and rate, at no cost to look.
Frequently asked questions
What are the standard commercial wheelie bin sizes in Australia?
How many bags fit in a 240L wheelie bin?
How much floor space does a 1100L commercial bin need?
Which bin size is right for a small cafe?
Should I get a bigger bin or a more frequent collection?
How can I tell if I'm paying for the wrong bin size?
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