That's a great question! It really depends on the type and material. A typical heavy-duty plastic or galvanized steel public litter bin you see on a street corner might weigh between 15 to 40 pounds (7 to 18 kg) when empty. They're sturdy but manageable for crews to move.
For larger commercial containers, the weight jumps significantly. A common 2-cubic-yard steel dumpster, often seen behind restaurants, can easily weigh 250 to 350 pounds (113 to 159 kg) empty. The big 8-yard roll-off dumpsters used for construction debris can weigh a staggering 1,500 to 2,500 pounds (680 to 1,130 kg) just as a steel shell. The weight comes from the thick, durable steel needed to handle heavy loads and constant mechanical lifting.
So, while a small city bin is relatively light, the term "commercial-grade" usually points to those heavy-duty dumpsters, which are extremely heavy even when empty, requiring special equipment to handle.