Media Platforms Design Team(Photograph by Chris Eckert/Studio D)THE BAGS* Hefty 2-mil ($10 for 18 bags)* Grip-Rite 3-mil ($15 for 20 bags)* EconoGreen 3-mil ($17 for 30 bags)THE TESTSWeight CapacityWe started with a 20-pound slate paver and added weights until the bags burst.Hefty 2-mil: The thin, stretchy resin held until the load hit 40 pounds. Grip-Rite 3-mil: Despite being thicker than the Hefty, it actually held less weight–a tear appeared at just 35 pounds. Econogreen 3-mil: Our strongest bag stood up to two testers hauling 65 pounds of weight before it finally tore.Abrasion ResistanceTo simulate dragging a bag over pavement, we used 220-grit sandpaper and a 5-inch random-orbital sander to bore holes in taut plastic.Hefty 2-mil: Dime-size holes emerged in the Hefty after 5 seconds of intense sanding. Grip-Rite 3-mil: This bag’s glossy finish seemed to act like a protective layer–it took a full 12 seconds to sand through the sack.Econogreen 3-mil: The bag’s coarse finish seemed to work against the bag, as it gave the sander something to bite. We were shredding through the plastic after only 2 seconds.Puncture ResistanceWe jammed the bags full of pointy broken branches, tied them tight and counted how many twigs poked through.
