That's an excellent and practical question! It's smart to consider the weight of an empty trash can, especially a large 50-gallon one, before you buy it and have to move it around your yard or driveway.
A typical, empty 50-gallon outdoor trash can, the common plastic kind you see at most homes, usually weighs between 18 and 25 pounds (8 to 11 kg).
Now, you might wonder, why is there a range? The weight isn't a single number because it depends on a few key factors:
1. Material: The vast majority of residential outdoor cans are made from durable, rotationally molded polyethylene plastic. This material offers a great balance of strength and relatively light weight. If you were to find a 50-gallon metal can, it would be significantly heavier, but these are much less common for general home use.
2. Design and Durability: A basic, thin-walled can will be on the lighter end of that scale. However, most quality 50-gallon cans are designed to be "heavy-duty" or "animal-resistant." This means they use thicker plastic and have more robust structural ribs, which adds to the overall weight.
3. Features: The most common feature is wheels. A 50-gallon wheeled trash can (a "toter") includes a steel axle, two large wheels, and a hinged lid mechanism. All these components add several extra pounds compared to a simple can without wheels.
So, when you're planning, you can expect a standard, heavy-duty plastic 50-gallon can to weigh about as much as a large bag of dog food. This empty weight is crucial to remember because once you fill those 50 gallons with trash, yard waste, or recycling, the total weight can easily exceed 100 pounds. Knowing the empty weight helps you choose a spot for it and handle it safely when you need to roll it to the curb for collection.