Bin There, Done That.

Bin There, Done That.

They mightn’t always look good, or smell good for that matter, but your kitchen bin is indispensable. And, in these days, when everyone is doing their best to be ‘green’ by recycling, most people have more than one. If you’re planning a new kitchen, it’s certainly something you should factor for.

You’re going to need more than one.

The days of one kitchen bin are long gone. For recycling purposes (and if you don’t currently do it, you should really consider it), you’ll need more than one kitchen bin. Typically, as well as your standard kitchen bin for general refuse, you’ll need a bin for glass, one for paper/card and perhaps another separate one for plastic. If you compost, you‘ll need one for that too. The problem is where do you put them all.

Your big bin.

Start with your main bin for non-recyclables. This is the easiest to solve. It should be your largest and should be able to hold a bin bag that can be inserted/extracted easily. If you can afford it, the best option here is a sensor bin that automatically opens when your hand hovers over it. That way you don’t need a free hand for whatever it is you’re throwing away.

A new option that’s becoming popular is installing your principal refuse collector into a kitchen unit. You simply lift a lid in the worktop and the waste is discarded in the bin underneath, normally hidden behind a cupboard door. Of course, you’ll need to plan this in when designing your kitchen. The My Beautiful Kitchen installation team can help with all kitchens customisations such as this one. If you’re not planning a new kitchen, a traditional freestanding bin is probably the easiest option.

Recycling goes here.

Of course, having separate freestanding bins for all your recycling isn’t practical for small kitchens. What’s more, since some items that go into these bins (plastic bottles or pizza boxes, for example) tend to be bulky, they need to be quite spacious. The best option here is to keep them in a utility cupboard (that’s if you have a utility cupboard in your kitchen, of course). Use large stacked plastic boxes, or better still, for paper and card use a cardboard box. That way, you have nothing to bring back when you take it for recycling.

For smaller kitchens, consider placing bins inside kitchen units. Pull-out or swing-out bins are a good solution, if your cabinets are deep enough.

Going ‘green’.

For composting, you won’t need a large space, or even a bag, as you’ll be emptying your composting container directly onto your compost heap. A small compartment attached to the inside of the cabinet behind the sink is the ideal solution here. Hidden, discrete and handy, these too can be pull-out, swing-out, or simply a small freestanding container.

 

Whatever options, you’re looking for, when you buy your kitchen from My Beautiful Kitchen, we’ll be able to help you find the best solution for your needs.