Rubbish bags are (usually plastic) bags for containing waste until removed by refuse collection. While bin liners are specifically for the purpose of lining rubbish bins, rubbish bags can be used as standalone receptacles to store rubbish.

The gauge of a rubbish bag is a measure of its strength – the higher the gauge, the stronger the bag. An economy bag may have a gauge of 100 while a heavy duty rubbish bag’s gauge may be as high as 180.

The capacity of a rubbish bag – the volume of garbage it will hold – is usually measured in litres or in dimensions. A standard rubbish bag has a capacity between 50 and 100 litres.