Best trash bags recommended by Consumer Reports

The commercial says, “New Glad trash bags, designed with reinforcing bands, are stronger with less plastic waste.”

To see just how strong they really are, Consumer Reports tested them, along with nine other tall kitchen bags from big-name brands such as Hefty, Kirkland Signature from Costco, and Great Value from Walmart.

Consumer Reports built a special contraption to measure just how much weight each bag can hold. Once the tester loaded the bag with weight, he lifted it, higher and higher. The Glad bag stretched but did not break. It could hold 50 pounds! But the Member’s Mark bag from Sam’s Club broke with only about 35 pounds.

When all the testing was done, the winners were the Hefty The Gripper, for 16 cents a bag, and that new Glad bag, for 15 cents.

If you don’t load your bag with a lot of heavy garbage, Consumer Reports says consider Costco’s Kirkland Signature Drawstring Trash bags. At 7 cents a bag, they’re half the price and are still pretty strong.