Sterilite trash can lid replacement

Sterilite does not sell wastebasket lids in a shop, but it does accept replacement parts requests through its own contact form - that category is on the form, and it is the only direct route that exists. Before you use it, get the model number off the base of the can: Sterilite's wastebaskets are identified by a four-digit code (1045 for the 13-gallon TouchTop, 1043 for the 7.5-gallon, 1058 for the 11-gallon slim StepOn, 1061 for the 2.7-gallon) and a lid from one will not fit another.

1. Step 01

   Find the model number

   Tip the can up. Sterilite molds the model number into the base, and it also appears on the product page for every current wastebasket. Write down the number and the capacity together - 1045, 13 gallon - because the same number can cover more than one color.

2. Step 02

   Work out whether it is the lid or the latch

   On a TouchTop the lid is held closed by a spring latch, and a latch that no longer catches feels exactly like a broken lid. Press the panel slowly and watch the catch. If the catch moves but does not hold, the spring has tired - that is a different request, and sometimes a repair.

3. Step 03

   Ask Sterilite, using the parts category

   Use the contact form on sterilite.com and select the Replacement Parts subject. Give the model number, the capacity, the color and what has failed. Availability varies by model and by how long the item has been in the line, so ask rather than assume.

4. Step 04

   Check the retailer at the same time

   If the can is recent, the retailer you bought it from may replace the whole unit faster than a part can be shipped. Do both in parallel - whichever answers first wins.

5. Step 05

   Use a stopgap that does not look like one

   A plain rectangular Sterilite body without a lid is still a usable can in a laundry room, an office or a garage. Move it there and buy a latched or stepped can for the kitchen, where a lid actually matters.

It is worth understanding, because it stops you buying the wrong thing twice. A Sterilite lid is molded to the rim profile of one body, and the mechanism is molded in with it: the TouchTop's spring latch sits in the lid, the StepOn's hinge pin locates in two bosses on the body. A lid from a different model does not seat, and if it does not seat the can does not contain a smell - which was the reason for having a lid.

Replace for the failure you had. If a hinged lid snapped, a TouchTop has no hinge to snap - the only moving part is a latch. If a latch tired, a stepped lid has no latch. That is the whole decision, and at these prices it is a cheap one to get right.

The two replacements most people land on: the latched 13-gallon TouchTop, and the slim four-pack if you would rather have spares in the house than a parts request on file.

Best Sterilite overall

Sterilite 13 Gallon TouchTop Wastebasket (1045)

The 13-gallon Sterilite most people are looking for: a latching touch lid, a full-size 13-gallon liner, and no pedal linkage to snap.

$30.08 · View on Amazon

Price as of October 17, 2026.  #ad How we make money

Best for a narrow gap

Sterilite 11 Gallon Slim StepOn Wastebasket (4-Pack)

The slim one: 10.5 inches across, hands-free, and it still holds an ordinary 13-gallon liner.

$69.99 · View on Amazon

Price as of October 17, 2026.  #ad How we make money

The rest of the line, including the 7.5-gallon and the 2.7-gallon, is compared in the best Sterilite trash cans. If you would rather move up to a can with a published parts path, trash can lid replacement, brand by brand names the brands that actually stock spares.

• Do not use the lid as a shelf. A stack of mail on a TouchTop panel holds the latch under constant load, which is what tires the spring.
• Do not push a full bag down with the lid. Lift the bag instead. Closing a lid onto an overfull liner is what breaks hinge bosses.
• Keep the latch clean. Kitchen grease in a latch makes it sticky, and a sticky latch gets forced. A cloth and warm water once a month is the whole maintenance schedule.
• Match the liner to the can. A bag that is too small drops inside and the lid gets levered open to retrieve it - see why your trash bag doesn't fit.