# DIY PVC Trash Bag Holder



## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

I was requested to do a review on the PVC Trash Bag holder I made several years ago. I actually got the idea from the internet as someone else had made one before and that is where I got the idea from. I was constantly searching for something that would hold my trash bags open while I was doing my Spring scalp as it is very frustrating to dump a mower bag with the wind blowing like it does in the Spring around here. The thing I really like about it is that you can configure it to whatever kind of bag you like to use and it can be broken down when not in use for easy storage.

You basically have 4 PVC poles that you cut to the length of your bag, I would make it just a hair shorter than the bag so that all the weight of the contents of the bad will rest on the ground and not on the frame of the PVC or the bag itself. You will also want to account for the overlap of the bag on the top rim too. You will need 8 PVC 90° elbows for the top and bottom rims and 8 PVC "T's" to connect the support poles. You don't have to technically glue any of the joints but I found it best to glue all the corners(90° elbows) to keep it from coming apart while you are dragging it around the yard . You DO NOT want to glue the "T's" as you need some adjustment(play) to put it back together after storage. You obviously want to make the base larger than the top rim to give you some stability while loading and unloading trash bags. I would also recommend using SCH 40 PVC as it is a lot more sturdier than the thin walled stuff.

I just took measurement of the one I have, these are all rough estimates and I used all 1" diameter PVC:

Legs x4= 3' 6"
Top Rim= 20" square
Bottom Rim= 30" square
Total length of PVC= 30'($6 x 10ft @ Lowe's)$18 
90° Elbows= 8 ($.98 each @ Lowe's)$8
"T's"=8 ($1.22 each @ Lowe's)$10
PVC Glue and Primer ($9 @ Lowe's)
Some kind of saw to cut PVC or a PVC cutting tool

You are looking at around $30-40 in PVC plus the glue and maybe a saw to cut it with but I would bet that a lot of use might have some of this stuff on hand already which would help bring the cost down. I have yet to find anything as useful and handy as the thing I built and it's a joy to use each and every time. You want to make the opening slightly larger than the bag you plan to use so it can stretch over the top of the rim to be held in place. Once the bag is filled, you can just remove it from the top and tie it off and then pull the PVC holder over the top of the filled bag and start all over again.

If there are any questions or comments please feel free to add them and I will answer them the best I can.

































These are the bags I use and I got them off Amazon, they are nice but I am thinking of going with something a little thicker next time.


----------



## Movingshrub (Jun 12, 2017)

Thanks for the write up. That completely makes sense now. I've been using a spare trash can and just using bungee cords to keep the back from falling back in to the trash can. It works well enough but presents a challenge when applying a lot of material into the bag at once since air doesn't have somewhere to go.


----------



## WarEagle26 (Sep 14, 2017)

Excellent! Thanks for sharing all the details with us, MQ! This looks a lot better than the way I've been doing it...fighting the wind and holding the bag with one hand while trying to dump the clippings with the other hand. :|


----------



## gatormac2112 (Sep 14, 2017)

I get my wife to hold the bag :lol:

She might like it if I try this :thumbup:


----------



## touchofgrass (Feb 17, 2017)

gatormac2112 said:


> I get my wife to hold the bag :lol:
> 
> She might like it if I try this :thumbup:


haha... MQ has tried that ole game with me too... I LOVE THIS THING!!!!! I bet your wife will love it too!!!


----------



## gatormac2112 (Sep 14, 2017)

touchofgrass said:


> gatormac2112 said:
> 
> 
> > I get my wife to hold the bag :lol:
> ...


 :lol: :thumbup:


----------



## kds (Apr 28, 2017)

We can't use garbage bags for yard waste here, there are specially-required paper bags we have to use. These things are a godsend to help the bags stay open and upright when loading it with leaves, and they're made here in Iowa!


----------



## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

kds said:


> We can't use garbage bags for yard waste here, there are specially-required paper bags we have to use. These things are a godsend to help the bags stay open and upright when loading it with leaves, and they're made here in Iowa!


Do they supply you with the paper bags?


----------



## kds (Apr 28, 2017)

Mightyquinn said:


> Do they supply you with the paper bags?


Nope, they're like $8 for a pack of 5 if I remember right. Alternatively you can get a bin that's exactly like a garbage bin, but it's brown and you can use that for yard waste, at $110 for the year. I'm trying to get away from that because there are some weeks I never even use it so it feels like wasted money. And then in the spring and fall that bin just isn't enough so I end up buying bags anyway...


----------



## WarEagle26 (Sep 14, 2017)

Made one of these with a bunch of leftover 3/4" schedule 40 PVC that I had lying around. The 3/4" definitely seems plenty sturdy enough in case anyone has extra lying around like me and was curious.



Below are the bags I've been using from Lowe's. They are a smaller size than the ones MQ uses, so I had to adjust the holder a little bit to accommodate. The base is about 25" x 25". The top is rectangular and is about 20" x 17.5". The 4 legs are each cut at 31" long.



Can't wait to get out in the yard and actually use this thing. This contraption will save me a lot of time when I go to scalp soon. Thanks again, MQ, for sharing the good idea with us!


----------



## TulsaFan (May 1, 2017)

A neighbor stopped by today while I was verticutting my lawn. Never asked about the lawn, but was really interested in @Mightyquinn's DIY PVC Trash Bag Holder! :thumbup:


----------



## Brackin4au (Jun 13, 2018)

So today I scalped my front yard. I had planned on making the @Mightyquinn DIY PVC trash bag holder, but never got around to it. So in frustration and lack of other immediate options, I improvised. I took a spare 33gal trash can, used a 1" spade bit in my drill, and put 6 holes along the bottom of the trash can. Air moves right out and problem solved.





@Mightyquinn version would be much cheaper if you were going out and buying materials for something to serve this purpose, but I had this spare can that rarely gets used, so I figured might as well. Just another option. Used it several times without holes last year and never thought to do this. Man was that aggravating haha.


----------



## LowCountryCharleston (Jun 21, 2018)

kds said:


> We can't use garbage bags for yard waste here, there are specially-required paper bags we have to use. These things are a godsend to help the bags stay open and upright when loading it with leaves, and they're made here in Iowa!


Ha was going to mention these since we too down here in the Charleston, SC area have to use paper bags too. These work great and last a good amount of time. Put together well.


----------



## johnr (Jul 13, 2020)

I have the Ryobi collapsible one shown in the earlier photo. Works well but not great. I had to enlarge the holes in the bottom, otherwise my plastic trash bag (39 gallons size by the way) is very difficult to remove due to the vacuum. It has lasted 6 years but is beginning to fall apart.
I would recommend it if nothing else available. The 33-gallon trash can mentioned above would be my choice but I don't want to store more crap in the garage. The Ryobi is collapsible.


----------

