Finding plastic cans

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Please send us a message through the Contact Form if you have found your local source of canisters and would like to share it. Please include the name of the business, address, plastic can size to be found there, the price you paid, approximate supply. We will collect these spots on the can localizer map:

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For one DIY bike pannier you will need two identical plastic canisters. They have to be identical, otherwise they will not fit each other.

Shape: 

The top and the bottom of the cans need to be narrowed. We prefer the ones that are narrowed in an angle, compared to those that are rounded, but both work. 

Find cans that have the same shape on the top and on the bottom. Most of them are made like that, but it is good to check anyways.

Imagine how you would cut the lid out of the bottom and slide it on the other plastic can with the top cut out, and if you see any obstructing detail, opt for a different model.

Material:

High Density PolyEthylene, almost all cans are made of this kind of plastic. The short for it is HDPE or PEHD.

Color:

All colors will work, but cans with lighter colors are brighter inside, and get heated less in the sun. Independently of the color of the can, scratches will be whitish. Scratches are least visible on white cans.  

Content:

If available, choose cans that still have the label on, and have only been filled with the original content, so you can see what has been stored in them. Avoid highly toxic contents. Avoid oily contents, because they are much harder to clean. Vegetable oils stay inside the plastic of a perfectly cleaned can, and are released months later. The best is to use cans that have been used for storing cleaning products.

Where to look for it?

You can ask at businesses that use liquid products in bigger quantities - carwashes, laundries, restaurants, swimming pools and such like.

Selective waste collection centers that manage waste for companies may have many cans to choose from.

You can look in classified ads. Often employees of these companies collect the empty cans and sell them for a few bucks.

back to overview | next step

Finding plastic cans

back to overview | next step

Please send us a message through the Contact Form if you have found your local source of canisters and would like to share it. Please include the name of the business, address, plastic can size to be found there, the price you paid, approximate supply. We will collect these spots on the can localizer map:

Open map in new tab

For one DIY bike pannier you will need two identical plastic canisters. They have to be identical, otherwise they will not fit each other.

Shape: 

The top and the bottom of the cans need to be narrowed. We prefer the ones that are narrowed in an angle, compared to those that are rounded, but both work.