Plastic has been public enemy number one for some time now.
The sensational fact of more plastic in the oceans than fish by 2050 is one that’s been repeated across news outlets and social media, and for good reason. It’s a chilling vision to imagine underwater worlds and their inhabitants swamped by the waste of man’s own creation.
It seems the message has been hitting home. Gov.uk data shows that the recycling rate for household waste has grown across most of the UK. In every home nation apart from Northern Ireland, recycling efforts are on the up with 44.1 per cent in England.
The most recycled items? Paper, aluminium cans and plastic bottles. These efforts all aided, we imagine, by the mass adoption of segregated waste bins.
The humble kitchen bin has undergone a small but significant shift in recent decades with manufacturers answering customer demand by launching dual-compartment (or more) receptacles. It makes it much easier for the average Joe to sort recycling from the point of dispatch, in turn helping to ease the scale of the issue.
What household items can be recycled?
Paper, cardboard and cans are the tip of the trash iceberg. Lots more general household waste can be put in the recycling section of your bin, but some may require a quick clean first, especially if they’ve initially been used to hold food items. All of the below can be added to your recycling collection:
- Bottle tops
- Kitchen bottles like oil
- Milk and drink bottles
- Laundry or cleaning bottles
- Plastic carrier bags - must be empty and untied
- Magazine wrappings
- Margarine tubs
- Food trays (all colours)
- Toiletry bottles – for example, shampoo and conditioner
- Yoghurt pots
- Newspapers, including the Evening Standard, magazines and letters (although you may want to shred correspondence with sensitive personal information first)
- Boxes including cereal boxes and egg cartons
- Metals including tins, cans, aerosols, aluminium foil and bottle tops
- Glass jars and bottles, though do give them a speedy rinse first
If you’re not sure about the item at hand, you can run a search for your item at North London Waste Authority’s website.
Just because an item can be recycled doesn’t mean one should stop shopping mindfully. Reducing purchases of items that need recycling means less of a burden on an already stressed system; think buying loose fruit and veg instead of packaged and filling up on store cupboard essentials in a zero waste refill shop.
Some waste is inevitable, of course - we’re only human. Make sorting it all a much easier job with bins designed with recycling in mind.
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JosephJoseph Totem Waste Bin
Bring your kitchen bin into the 21st century with JosephJoseph. Call it a sign of our age, but we’ve never been this excited about a bin. Let us break it down for you.
There are two 30L compartments for your waste and recycling needs that sit compactly and vertically on top of each other - but it doesn’t end there. You can further split your rubbish to your heart’s content - plastic, paper, cans - with carrier hooks around the outside of the interior buckets to slot your bags inside. What’s more, there’s a removable food waste caddy for your compostables that can be slotted into the top or bottom bin in any corner. Collect and dispose of your food with ease and with the helpful addition of its own lid to keep the contents away and tidy. It’s the ultimate all-in-one.
The top bin opens with the slight touch of the lever, while the bottom is a simple pull-out. Putting a smart twist on the home essential, the top is fitted with a compartment for odour elimination. It is ventilated to encourage the aromas to travel through the activated carbon filter and escape with Airflow technology. Let smelly bins be a thing of the past. Replacement filters are available.
The buckets are removable and complete with breather holes for easy removal. There’s a specially designed custom bin bag available too but it’s not essential.
Functional and stylish, it will fit seamlessly among your interior aesthetic, whether you opt for the stainless steel, the white or the grey.
Buy now £229.00, Joseph Joseph
Brabantia Bo 60 Litre Touch Top Multi-Compartments Rubbish and Recycling Bin
With recycling front and centre in the nation’s priorities, many homes have two receptacles in the kitchen to sort trash - but what if you don’t have the space to accommodate twin bins?
Brabantia’s soft-close design offers a solution with different compartments set inside to sort your waste. It comes set on stable, non-skid legs so you can spot and clean up any potential leaks quickly.
Buy now £171.04, Wayfair
SONGMICS Recycling Bin
For big kitchens that take the business of recycling seriously, this Songmics bin is a bit of a beast. The shell contains three buckets to separate your glass, cardboard and plastic waste, making recycling a doddle.
Each bucket comes with carry handles to make it easy to transport, and also keeps the mess contained should your liner split. The soft close lid prevents loud clangs while also keeping unpleasant odours where they should be - inside the bin. Each 18L compartment also has its own pedal so can be used individually.
Also available in silver and black.
Buy now £115.99, Amazon
Cooks Professional Recycling Sensor Bin
Keep your hands, house and conscience clean with Cooks' recycling bins which come fitted with motion sensors so you don't have to faff around trying to open compartments when your hands are full. The dual compartments include a removable food caddy for biodegradable waste, locking in bad smells until they're ready for the next stage of the composting journey.
Buy now £179.99, Amazon
Brabantia 110023 Sort & Go Built-in Waste Bin
If you don’t like the idea of a bin cluttering up your kitchen space, this option allows you to hide them away in cupboards. The set of two 16-litre bins will fit into almost any cupboard thanks to the H46 x W50 x D36cm dimensions and easy installation self-supporting mounting frame. Each bin also comes with a strong handle and grip on the base to make emptying easier.
Buy now £68.99, Amazon
simplehuman Dual Compartment Fingerprint Proof Liner Pocket Recycling Bin, 58L
Is this gleaming rose gold receptacle the waste disposal system of the future? There are two space-efficient compartments to help you sort trash from recycling treasure. There’s a built-in pocket for liners as well as a wide foot pedal to open the bin, which closes using the brand’s “Lid Shox” technology to ensure a smooth, silent close every time - no more wafting bin smells for you! Also available in black and silver finishes.
Comes with a 10-year guarantee.
Buy now £199.95, John Lewis
POKER PLUS PATTERN Set 4pz assorted
Take your waste disposal to the next level with this set of four bins, which can each hold 27 litres. You can stack them, set them up in a cube formation or split them for different uses in various rooms.
Buy now £44.99, Amazon
Dunelm 30/30L Recycling Bin
Just because its sole function is to guzzle all your rubbish doesn’t mean it can’t look stylish while it’s doing it. Offering another way to incorporate copper hues into your interiors, this metallic bin has twin compartments, each with room for 30 litres. The smart-looking design comes with two pedals to operate each compartment independently, containing whiffy smells as well as excess waste.
Also available in a choice of colours.
Buy now £70.00, Dunelm
Evre Recycling Bin with Lids for Kitchen
Make recycling a much easier and cleaner job thanks to this two-compartment bin which comes with separate foot pedals so you can operate each section independently of the other. Together they hold 30L with an even split across both bins, making it a viable option for smaller households.
Buy now £49.99, Amazon
VonHaus Recycling Bin
Another two-compartment option, the top section acts as a normal bin with a flip-up lid whilst the bottom opens like a drawer – great if you plan to use it for bottles, which run the risk of smashing when thrown into a bucket–style bin. The usability of this recycling bin makes it a favourite on this list.
VonHaus has thought carefully about the features that make the task of filling and emptying the bin easier by including elements such as inner buckets with handles and a pedal for opening the bottom drawer. Ranging from 34 to a huge 60 litres, you can choose a size to fit your family’s needs.
Buy now £77.99, Amazon
