Garbage Bag Production Line — Machines, Layout and Output
A garbage bag production line is four machines in sequence: a blown film line makes the tube, an optional press prints it, a bag making machine seals and cuts the bag, and a granulator returns the trim to the extruder. This page lists what each step needs, in the order the material moves, with the published specifications of the E-SHION machines that do the work.
The line, step by step
Garbage bags are sold by weight into a price-competitive market, so the line is designed around resin cost per finished bag rather than around maximum speed.
- 1 · Resin in — LDPE for soft household bags, LLDPE for puncture resistance, or a blend; recycled PE in the core layer when the line is ABA
- 2 · Blown film — the tube is extruded, cooled, flattened and wound; thickness for garbage bag film typically runs 0.008–0.03 mm
- 3 · Printing (optional) — flexo printing for brand, size and warning panels; usually 1–4 colours on garbage bag film
- 4 · Bag making — drawstring machines for on-roll drawstring bags, thermal-cut or side-seal machines for flat and vest-style refuse bags
- 5 · Recycling — edge trim, start-up lumps and off-spec rolls go back to pellets and return to the core layer
Film lines for garbage bag film
Two film configurations cover the garbage bag market: a single-resin monolayer line, and an ABA 3-layer line that can bury recycled resin in the core.
| Specification | Monolayer Blown Film Machine | ABA Film Blowing Machine |
|---|---|---|
| Film width (folded) | 600–1,200 mm | 100–1,200 mm |
| Output | 30–120 kg/h | 40–120 kg/h |
| Layer structure | Monolayer (1) | 3-layer |
| Film thickness | 0.008–0.10 mm | on request |
| Materials | LDPE / LLDPE / HDPE | LDPE / LLDPE / HDPE / CaCO₃-filled compound |
| Installed power | 46–74 kW installed | 52 kW installed |
| Indicative price | $18,000 – $45,000 | $35,000 – $90,000 |
“on request” marks a value this configuration does not publish — ask for it and an engineer confirms the figure for your specification. Published figures come from the machine database and are identical on every page of this site.
Bag making machines for garbage bags
A drawstring line and a thermal-cut line are alternatives, not additions — most factories install one family and add the second only when the product range widens.
| Specification | Drawstring Garbage Bag Making Machine | DRW Thermal Cutting Bag Making Machine |
|---|---|---|
| Bag width | 800 mm | 10–950 mm |
| Bag length | up to 900 mm | 50–990 mm |
| Speed | 70–150 bags/min | 40–180 bags/min |
| Bag thickness | 0.008–0.03 mm | 0.01–0.10 mm |
| Materials | HDPE / LDPE | BOPP / OPP / PE |
| Installed power | 25 kW installed | 3–4.7 kW installed |
| Indicative price | $15,000 – $60,000 | $15,000 – $60,000 |
Printing and recycling units
Printing is optional — plain bags sell on price, printed bags sell on brand. The granulator is not optional on a line that runs recycled core resin.
| Specification | YTB-A 61000 Six-Color Stack Flexo Printing Machine | Plastic Granulating Machine |
|---|---|---|
| Print width | up to 950 mm | on request |
| Speed / throughput | 10–120 m/min | 150–500 kg/h |
| Colors | 6 | on request |
| Materials | Paper 17–350 g/m² / Non-woven 15–120 g / PVC / OPP/BOPP / PE / NY / PET / CPP / Woven PP | PE / PP / PA |
| Installed power | on request | 30–90 kW installed |
| Indicative price | $40,000 – $90,000 | $8,000 – $30,000 |
“on request” marks a value this configuration does not publish — ask for it and an engineer confirms the figure for your specification. Published figures come from the machine database and are identical on every page of this site.
Which bag machine for which garbage bag
| Product | Bag making machine | Why |
|---|---|---|
| On-roll drawstring garbage bag | Drawstring machine (RES-1000 class) | Forms the drawstring channel and the bag in one pass — the format cannot be made on a flat bag machine |
| Flat refuse bag on roll or in packs | Thermal-cut machine (DRW class) | Cuts and seals with a hot knife across the full width range, including small bin liners |
| Vest / handle refuse bag | T-shirt or side-seal machine | Handle punching and stacking in one cycle |
| Heavy-duty industrial refuse bag | Heavy-duty bag machine with thicker film | Handles film up to 0.30 mm without seal failure |
Layout and utilities to plan
Space planning usually fails at the ceiling, not the floor — the film tower sets the minimum hall height.
- Film tower height clears the ceiling with room for maintenance access — the IBC line tower is the tallest unit in the hall
- Resin storage and auto loader positioned so gravity feeds the hopper
- Corona treater fitted before printing if the film will be printed
- Granulator within conveyor distance of both the film line edge-trim take-off and the bag machine waste
- Air, water and 380 V three-phase supply sized to the published installed power of each unit, not to an estimate
Output planning
Plan the line from the bag, backwards. Fix the bag size and film thickness, then read the required film output off the bag machine speed and the number of bags per kilogram.
The film line is usually the bottleneck: a bag machine can outrun a film line, and buying bag capacity ahead of film capacity only builds work-in-progress.
Every configuration above is quoted as a line, so film width, bag machine lane count and voltage are matched before shipment.
| Line configuration | Film line | Bag making | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry line | Monolayer, 600–1,200 mm | Thermal-cut, 40–180 bags/min | One or two bin-liner sizes, single shift |
| Standard line | ABA 3-layer, 100–1,200 mm | Drawstring or thermal-cut | Recycled core resin, on-roll drawstring plus flat bags |
| High-volume line | IBC 3-layer, 2,600 mm | Two bag machines in parallel | Multi-size range, multi-shift, export volume |
Close the loop with a granulator
Garbage bag film generates edge trim continuously and start-up scrap every shift. A granulator converts both back into pellets that go into the core layer of ABA film — the material is bought once.
The E-SHION granulating machine runs {throughput(granulator-sj)} at 30–90 kW installed, which covers the trim of a mid-size film line and clears start-up lumps in a single shift.
Machines in this line
Choosing the film for garbage bags
Garbage bag film is a resin decision before it is a machine decision — see LDPE vs LLDPE for strength, sealing and down-gauging trade-offs.
Watch them run
Automatic Drawstring Garbage Bag Machine
DRW Bag Making Machine — Factory Footage
Related pages
Frequently asked questions
What machines do I need to produce garbage bags?
Four units: a blown film machine to make the tube, a flexo press if the bag carries print, a bag making machine to seal and cut the bag, and a granulator to return trim and start-up scrap to the extruder. For standard household refuse bags the film runs 0.008–0.03 mm on a monolayer or ABA 3-layer line, and the bag machine is either a drawstring machine (on-roll drawstring bags) or a thermal-cut machine (flat bags).
How much does a garbage bag production line cost?
Indicative factory-direct ranges run from about $9K to $70K depending on film width, output, layer count and automation — request a quote for your exact configuration. Indicative ranges by machine type — T-Shirt Bag Making Machine: $9,000 – $35,000; T-Shirt Bag Making Machine (DFR-400X2): $9,000 – $35,000; Dr Garbage Bag Making Machine: $15,000 – $60,000; DRW Thermal Cutting Bag Making Machine: $15,000 – $60,000; Automatic Zipper Bag Making Machine: $15,000 – $50,000; Garment Bag Making Machine: $12,000 – $45,000; Express Bag Making Machine (DHL-800): $15,000 – $60,000; Heavy Duty Bag Making Machine: $20,000 – $70,000; Flower Bag Making Machine: $12,000 – $45,000; DRW Side Sealing Bag Making Machine: $12,000 – $45,000; ES-L-500X2 Star Sealing & Flat Bag Making Machine: $27,000 – $31,000 (base machine + optional label attachment); HF Circular BOPP Bag Making Machine: $20,000 – $70,000.
Can garbage bag film contain recycled material?
Yes — that is the main reason to choose an ABA 3-layer line. Recycled PE runs in the core layer at up to roughly 30% without visible surface defects, while the two outer layers stay virgin resin so print quality and seal strength are unaffected. Scrap from the film and bag machines returns to the line as pellets through the granulator.
Which film is best for garbage bags — LDPE or LLDPE?
LDPE gives softness and easy sealing for standard household bags; LLDPE gives higher puncture resistance for bags that carry wet or sharp waste. Most factories run a blend, and the machine is set up for the blend you buy. Thickness for garbage bag film is typically 0.008–0.03 mm.
How much film output do I need?
Start from the bag: a drawstring machine runs 70–150 bags/min and the thermal-cut machine 40–180 bags/min. Match film output to the bag machine rather than the other way round — the ABA line at 40–120 kg/h and the IBC 3-layer line at 500 kg/h cover small to high-volume production. Send bag size, thickness and target daily volume and we will size the line for you.
Do you supply the complete line or single machines?
Both. Film line, printing press, bag machine and granulator are all built in the same factory, so a complete line ships with matched widths, matched voltage and one warranty — or you can order a single machine to add to an existing line.
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