Bagster vs. Dumpster Rental: Which One Should You Get?
When managing waste during a home improvement or decluttering project, you may have to choose between buying a Bagster or renting a roll-off dumpster. Bagsters, also known as Waste Management Bagsters, are a popular option, but they're not always the most practical solution for handling your waste needs. Sometimes called a "dumpster in a bag" or a "dumpster bag," they have key differences from a traditional dumpster rental.
Here are some reasons why a roll-off dumpster is a better choice than a Bagster for handling certain debris.
What Is a Bagster?
The Bagster is a solution from Waste Management (WM) that offers an affordable dumpster service. It is a heavy-duty bag made of canvas that can hold up to 3 cubic yards, or 1.65 tons, of weight. This is about the same capacity as half of a 10-yard dumpster.
The Bagster's purchase price is seemingly low, typically at $30. However, once you calculate the total cost including pickup and scheduling fees, the dumpster bag is overpriced compared to a typical dumpster rental.
How Much Does the Bagster Cost?
While the initial price starts at a flat $29.99, collection fees quickly add up, especially if you require pickups for multiple dumpster bags.
The flat rate price also changes depending on where you purchase your bag, as you must buy the WM dumpster bag at Home Depot, Lowe's, Walmart, or other home improvement stores. Unlike a dumpster rental that's delivered directly to your job site, a dumpster bag requires an extra trip to buy it.
Additionally, dumpster rental costs generally include pickup, dumping fees, and removal costs bundled into one package at checkout, making it easier to budget for your waste management needs.
What Is the Bagster Pickup Cost?
The Bagster pickup cost, also called a collection fee, is the amount WM charges to pick up your filled bag. The price depends on your zip code, but average prices range between $100 and $300, with additional costs for picking up multiple bags.
There are also optional add-on costs, such as the Guaranteed Day Service (GDS). This flat fee ensures your Bagster is picked up on a specific day. Without GDS, WM will collect your Bagster within a 7-day window, but the exact day is not guaranteed.
Bagster Weight Limits and Sizes
The Bagster size is fixed — it comes in just one option: 8 feet long, 4 feet wide, and 2.5 feet high. This may be enough for minor cleanups, but bulky furniture, appliances, and construction materials often exceed the Bagster size, making it difficult to dispose of them using this container.
Dumpsters, on the other hand, are available in a variety of sizes — from 10 to 40 cubic yards — and can handle a wide range of waste from construction sites, commercial properties, and residential cleanouts.
Another major limitation is the Bagster weight limit, which is capped at 3,300 pounds. While that may sound like a lot, you can exceed the Bagster weight limit fairly quickly during larger renovation projects or when disposing of heavy construction materials.
For example, debris from a multiroom renovation or a small commercial demolition often exceeds what one Bagster can hold, both in size and in weight. In such cases, needing multiple Bagsters (each subject to its own pickup fee of $100 or more) can quickly make this option less economical.
Dumpsters are built to handle far more weight than the Bagster weight limit allows. Their sturdy metal construction and high capacity make them ideal for heavy items like concrete, drywall, old furniture, or roofing material, all in one container.
What Can't You Put in a Bagster?
Items that cannot go in the Bagster dumpster bag rental include:
Anything toxic or hazardous
Paint
Oil
Batteries
Fluorescent light bulbs
Appliances
Electronics
Food waste
Tires
Pesticides
Chemicals
Yard waste (only in some areas)
Are Bagsters Reusable?
Another downside about Bagsters is that they are not reusable but single-use products. In terms of environmental impact, this is not promising since these bags will also end up in dumps and landfills with the trash they carry.
Every time you need to use a Bagster, you have to buy a new one, which is costly for you and wasteful for the environment. Dumpsters, on the other hand, can be reused repeatedly because they are made of durable metal.
Are Bagsters Worth It?
For smaller renovation projects and cleanups, the dumpster bag might be a good option. On average, the cost for a dumpster bag is around $170, including $140 for pickup and $30 for purchase price.
The dumpster bag has a capacity of 3 cubic yards, which is less than one-third of the capacity of our smallest 10-yard dumpster. On the other hand, a 10 cubic yard dumpster rental costs an average of $350. This means for less than one-third the capacity of a 10-yard dumpster, you're paying about 40% of the price for a dumpster bag.
This can be a good deal if you only have a small amount of waste and don't need additional space for your debris. However, if you have more than 3 cubic yards worth of debris, the dumpster bag quickly becomes the less economical choice.
Bagster vs. Dumpster Rental in Short
When it comes down to it, choosing between a Bagster and a roll-off dumpster really depends on three things: how big your project is, what kind of debris you're dealing with, and how quickly you need it gone.
While Bagsters can be a decent short-term option for very small cleanups, roll-off dumpsters offer more value, space, and reliability, especially when you're dealing with larger volumes of waste or heavy materials.
When you compare size, cost, reliability, and what you’re allowed to toss, roll-off dumpsters come out ahead every time.
Get an affordable roll-off dumpster rental and make waste one less thing to worry about.
