A dumpster refers to those big containers that hold lot of trash and need to be lifted up with a garbage truck. A garbage can refers to a smaller can that will hold normal household trash.

Standard roll off container sizes are 10, 15, 20, 30 and 40 cubic yards. The dimensions and exterior may vary by manufacturer, but the volume is always accurate. Additionally, some locations may have non-traditional dumpster sizes, such as 12 and 50 yard bins.

The word dumpster has had at least three trademarks associated with it by Dempster Brothers, but today it is often used as a genericized trademark.

Trademarked by Dempster Brothers, Inc. in 1963, dumpster is originally a portmanteau of the word dump and the last name Dempster.