Put your hand inside a sample bag and try the pickup motion with a clean object. Can you turn the bag around it and still tie it? The handler’s hand, the contents and the closure give you a better starting size than the dog’s breed alone.
Now try a full roll in the holder. A bag can pass the hand test while the roll rubs on the lid, sits loosely on the spindle or fails to feed through the slot.
Separate the bag measurements from the roll measurements
| Part | What to record | What the check answers |
|---|---|---|
| Opened bag | Width, usable length and top style | Can it cover the hand, contain the pickup and close? |
| Full roll | Maximum outside diameter | Does it fit inside the holder before any bags are removed? |
| Full roll | Axial length from one end to the other | Is there space between the holder ends or cap? |
| Core, if present | Core type and opening relative to the spindle | Can it mount and turn as intended? |
| Bag separation | Perforation and feed arrangement | Can the user withdraw and separate a bag? |
Earth Rated’s official size page lists a refill bag at 23 × 33 cm and its roll at 31 mm in diameter (±2 mm) by 60 mm long (±1 mm). These are Earth Rated’s product dimensions. When checking clearance in a tight holder, use the largest permitted diameter and length.
Check hand coverage and space to turn the bag
Open the bag fully before slipping your hand inside. Spread your fingers as you would during pickup and check whether the film pulls tight across them.
Use a clean object about the size of a typical pickup. Turn the bag over it and try the closure. Use a separate trial if the order requires a strength or leakage check.
Repeat the hand check wearing gloves if the bags will be used in cold weather.
Measure the space below the handles or knot
Lay the bag flat without stretching it. Mark the mouth, bottom seal and any gusset, then show how much of the body is available before the knot or ties begin.
A straight-top bag and a handled bag can have the same overall length but leave different amounts of room for pickup. On a handled bag, label the body height as well as the length to the handle tips.
Try the intended knot or closure on the filled sample. If it requires pulling the film hard or pushing the contents toward the opening, revisit the usable size or top construction.
Measure a full roll against the actual holder
Use an unopened full roll for the first fit trial. A partly used roll can clear the lid even when a new refill rubs against it.
- Compare the roll’s largest outside diameter with the usable internal space.
- Check the axial length against the distance available between the holder ends.
- If the holder has a center spindle, inspect how the core fits it and whether the roll can turn.
- Check the path from the roll to the dispensing slot and the direction the first bag feeds.
Consult the manufacturer’s own dispenser instructions for that model, then try the refill in the holder you intend to supply.
A bags-per-roll count does not establish compatibility
Two rolls of the same count can differ in diameter or length because of the bag fold, film thickness, core and winding. Measure the finished roll.
Write the retail count as rolls per pack and bags per roll. For example, 12 rolls of 15 bags gives 180 individual bags. Record the roll dimensions alongside that count for the person selecting the dispenser.
Identify whether the refill goes into a portable holder or a public waste station. Measure its loading space and look at the way the first bag feeds out.
Test loading, feeding and separation in sequence
- Load the full roll and close the holder normally.
- Pull the first bag through the intended slot without pinching the roll.
- Check whether the roll turns or feeds as designed.
- Separate a bag at the perforation and inspect whether the tear stays on the intended line.
- Repeat the feeding check later in the roll, when its diameter and support have changed.
If the roll jams, mark where it touches the holder. If it turns freely but the bag rips beside the perforation, show the supplier the torn edge. Each fault calls for a different adjustment.
List the holder models you tried before making a compatibility claim for the retail pack.
Approve the bag and dispenser combination together
Keep an approved full roll with the holder or its model reference. Link it to the drawing for the opened bag so the next order preserves both the bag size and dispenser fit.
Disposal depends on the waste and the collection service. For instructions to print on the retail pack, see whether used dog poop bags can be composted.
What the refill order should identify
- Opened bag width, usable length and top style.
- Full-roll diameter, axial length and core dimensions.
- The holder model tried, feed direction and tear-off result.
- Bags per roll and rolls per retail pack.
Pet waste bag and roll size questions
Check the product format and sample options
- View custom biodegradable pet waste bags
- Review the sample-development process
- Read the separate guide to used-bag disposal
If a refill is sticking, send photos of a full roll in the open holder and the slot it feeds through. Include the roll dimensions, bag count and holder model.
Discuss a Pet Waste Bag Roll