bathroom garbage

In the last post we looked at some key points surrounding your ideal home recycling center. In this post, I’ve got some nice looking bins that will help you sort out the trash from the recycling, but won’t compromise your decor.

Simplehuman is rocking the recycling bin market. They have some of the best looking bins I’ve ever seen. This will cost you a little more than plain old plastic, but your decor will thank you. Three good choices include the fingerprint-proof rectangular recycler (seen above) or the pretty and modern front load recycler bins and the pullout recycler (seen below). Read the rest of this entry »

One way to control your trash is to stock up on smaller garbage cans for your home. Another is to set up a decent recycling center in your house.

Key points:

Set up your recycling area in a high traffic part of the house. Recycling bins on the porch or in the garage will get used less frequently. The kitchen is ideal.

Make sure you have enough bins for your local recycling center. Some cities need you to separate plastics from cans, others don’t care. In Humboldt I had to separate cardboard from paper, but here in OR you can toss those in together. Read about Recycling in Your Community.

If you have kids, make sure they know which bin is which. If you have small kids (pre-readers) you can tape a visual to the bin, such a picture of a soup can.

Aim for attractive and easy to move. Unless you have a dedicated area; such as an in-drawer recycling unit, you may want to move your bins at some point. Attractive bins just ensure that you won’t hide them away. And yes, there are attractive recycling bins. In the next post we’ll look at some.

Do you have a dedicated recycling area?

Most people have a garbage can in the kitchen and one in the bath at the very least. If you go with a smaller, garbage can, you’ll be more likely to recycle because there won’t be as much room for trash. Look for a small can with a lid. I like some without lids, like the profile open can shown above, but a lid makes you stop and think before you toss, so a lid will encourage better recycling habits. A smaller can also saves you money as their bag refills cost less (if you use bag refills).

Smaller garbage can options:

plastic step can

mini semi-round step can

mini plastic lid step can (great for the bathroom).

Amish Made Small Oak Flip Top Wood Trash Bin – very cool smaller handmade wood bin! See more styles at Trash Cans Unlimited.

Red Steel Trash Can 8gal/30L – so retro and adorable I almost can’t stand it.

Which small can is your favorite?