This can replaced one that held about a 1/4 as much. There were times we had to empty the trash several time a day, especially during the holiday seasons. You can use a standard 13gal. trash bag as well, you don't really need to buy 'special' bags for it. It's made of fingerprint resistant stainless steel. Very smooth operation with the butterfly top. Kind of cool, if you can say that about a trash can ;-)