What are the Different Plastic Lid Shapes and Sizes and What Can They Do?

Posted by Marc Allen Matthew Tan on Sep 8th 2021

There are 2 Major Shapes of Plastic Lids

Plastic Lids may seem like a very simple tool. It’s a tool to prevent contamination, prevent accidents, and a way to seal the freshness of food items. Without lids, the world could be experiencing a lot more spoiled food items, contamination risks, and spills. However, technological advances has given enough avenues for lids and also buckets to grow and become more than just a regular sealing tool.

Lids have grown so much that it was able to incorporate some designs that make it better for its users. Lids are now known to be 1st layer of tamper evidence for containers. If a container has a loose or estranged lid then it can easily point out that the container has been tampered with. It’s also a great way to protect the customer and the brand from potential issues and problems that modern lids are becoming indispensable and a non-negotiable when it comes to packaging.

Now when it comes to shapes, buckets usually come in 2 variants which are square lids and round lids. These 2 lids both do the same job which is to provide initial cover and protection but they both have interesting uses. However, the ultimate decision still falls into preference.

Square Lids

Square lids are mainly used for square containers. Square containers are designed to be a bit more economical when it comes to space. The square size covers a lot more space which is easier for heavy storage and stacking. Square containers have a more efficient way of distributing weight since it has a bigger area or space. This means that weight won’t be focused on a single area that usually causes items to break. Square Lids also help in absorbing weight on its surface, making the square container and lid combo perfect for stacking.

Square lids can also be used in different activities such as materials for arts, crafts, and play

Round Lids


Round lids can be considered as the poster child of the lids. The iconic round lid can be seen in iconic food containers, industrial containers, and almost everything that uses a round container. Round containers unlike square containers do not have the specifics when it comes to weight distribution that is why these are the perfect containers for liquids and small items. The area of a round container is smaller compared to a square container which is perfect for carrying unstable items such as liquids and small items. Add in a tight round lid to a round container and it’s a perfect match made in container heaven.

Round lids can also be used in different situations such as planting, sports, and mini coasters.

Different Lid Sizes

Lids also come in different sizes. Just like the buckets, lids have to cater to bucket sizes of different sizes and uses. Big Lids are mostly to cover big containers that carry big food items or industrial items like paint while small lids cover smaller containers that carry compact grocery items or for home use kind containers. It’s also important to check if the plastic used in making the lids are BPA Free. Most plastic that is used for food packaging and general packaging is BPA Free. BPA-free means that it does not carry the hardening agent called BPA or Bisphenol-A.

It’s important to remember this since lids are perfect for DIY projects and substitute materials for home use. Further use of plastics that are not BPA-free can affect the health and lives of its users. That is why it’s important to double-check whether a plastic lid is BPA-free and to check the history of its use. Here are some examples of lid sizes and what they can be used for.

Small Lid Sizes

Small lids range from 2 to 4 inches. They are usually bought in tandem with containers that are also small and are usually for domestic use. The lids are usually used to seal containers that contain small food items such as powdered drinks, berries, and snacks. The small lids are also great for DIY projects such as bird coasters or drink coaster substitutes.

Medium Lid Sizes

Mediums sized lids range from 5 to 6 inches. These lids are mostly used in containers that are mostly seen in the food business. The size is big enough to seal a container that contains either frozen food for restaurants or grocery items. These medium-sized lids are also perfect for fun activities such as indoor frisbee since they are big enough to be thrown like a frisbee disc while portable enough to be brought anywhere.

Large Lid Sizes

Large-sized lids range from 7 to 8 inches. These are the biggest and heaviest lids known to man. They are mostly used to seal containers that carry heavy-duty industrial items or big food items such as ice cream or frozen meats. These kinds of lids are usually added to 3.5-to-5-gallon containers which are perfect for the width and height proportion. Large Sized Lids are also a good source of reusable resources for the home. A large-sized lid can be used as a plastic resource for a bigger DIY project. Large-sized lids can also be used as proxy food plates

Gamma Seal Lids for 3 to 5 Gallon Containers

Gamma Seal Lids are a special kind of lids. The usual container has 2 mouth or opening options. It’s either the screw-type or the rib type. Rib-type containers have several ribs that help create tension between the container and the lid so that they attach. Screw-type lids use a screw mechanism to lock the lid onto the container. Both types are great but are prone to lid damage. A gamma seal lid is technically a replacement of the current mouth or opening of the container with a new screw-type lid.

One of the awesome things that a gamma seal lid provides is full protection and contamination control. The lids have a gasket inside that provides an air tight lock that makes sure that no contamination can happen.

It can be easily installed to any 3 to 5 Gallon Buckets or Containers as long as a rubber mallet is used.

Plastic Lids Sizes Caters to almost every Scenario

Plastic Lids shows that a thin piece of plastic carries a big burden in protecting people from spoiled food and possible accidents. They are also a great example of reusability and flexibility which is an important factor in this ever-changing world.

Check out the Plastics 101 guide article to know more about plastics and to know more about ePackageSupply’s plastic lids,head over to this page.