If you have a compact kitchen, the limited space combined with the demands of modern living may have you asking, where do I put my bin?
Smaller kitchens require style and practicality to ensure that the space is being managed effectively. Apart from the sink and fridge, the bin is the most frequently used item within a kitchen so needs to be easily accessible and also give you as much capacity as possible to hide away your recycling and waste. Our great choice of both in-cupboard bins and freestanding bins is sure to have a solution that makes the most of your space.
In this article, we will be exploring the best places to put your bin within a small kitchen to optimise your space and interior effectively.
In-Cupboard Bins
Here at Binopolis, our extensive range of in-cupboard bins come in all shapes and sizes, to fit cabinets or drawers ranging from 300mm to 1200mm wide. With the bin located within a cabinet, you can free up valuable floor space to retain workflow and the clean lines of your kitchen.
Size is crucial for in-cupboard bins and in most cases, people want to get the most bin capacity available to them. This is more challenging within a smaller kitchen, because the largest 600mm cabinets are often allocated to appliances. Fortunately, we have a great choice of bins for 300, 400 and 450mm wide cabinets, all designed to give you maximum capacity within the cupboard space.
We offer two styles for our in-cupboard bins:
- Pull-Out Door Bins
- Hinged Door Bins
Pull-Out Door Bins
Pull-out door bins offer an easily accessible unit that can store large quantities of waste and recycling without taking up much space. The best feature of the in-cupboard bin is that it pulls open easily with one hand, so you can put in your recycling and close it again on smooth runners: many of our bins for pull-out doors have top quality soft-close runners.
This great addition to your kitchen is the perfect choice to ensure that you have plenty of space to work with. Bins are available in standard cabinet widths of 300, 400, 450, 500 and 600mm wide, but they can vary in depth and height, so measure carefully. Each product gives the fitted dimensions of the bin once installed in the cabinet under the ‘Fitting & Dimensions’ section.
Hinged Door Bins
In-cupboard bins for cabinets with hinged doors are a great way to convert the cabinet into a hidden recycling bin. Most models for hinged door cabinets are self-contained units that come fully assembled and are simply fixed to the cabinet’s base. This design means that you have some flexibility in positioning them within the cupboard.
Hinged door bins can be useful when looking at smaller kitchens because it can mean that cabinets can have mixed uses. For instance, a 400mm or 500mm cabinet could have a bin on one side and extra storage on the other.
Our self-contained units can confidently uphold your standards in style. Check out the Big Bio Double for a robust storage item with a capacity of 36L. Like other hinged door style in-cupboard bins, it comes with a fully extending runner that brings the bin containers out toward you to make putting in and taking out your waste quick and easy.
Under Sink Waste Bins
Another great place to install an in-cupboard bin is under the sink. This choice is accompanied by a bundle of benefits, including good utilisation of a difficult space and keeping everything in one place.
However, there are some limitations posed by plumbing. We would recommend waiting for your plumber to finish installing a sink and u-bend before purchasing an under sink bin to ensure that you've got enough room. Due to the plumbing, bin space will be compromised and may limit your available storage space. You can also show the plumber the installed bin dimensions as given for the Specification of each product, and ask that they work the plumbing around the bin!
Bins for Pan-Drawers
Another option for a small kitchen is to put the waste bins in a low drawer or ‘pan drawer’. These models come with a set of bin containers standing in a base tray, so please measure the inside dimensions of your drawer and check that the tray and the height of the bins will fit.
We have an extensive range of in-cupboard pan drawer bins from top suppliers including Gollinucci, Tecnoinox and Wesco.
If this space isn't being utilised to its fullest, this could be an excellent opportunity for you to be practical and stylish. Our Gollinucci Sistema 9XL Drawer-based 29L Recycling Set could make the perfect addition to your kitchen. This in-cupboard bin is both practical and sophisticated for a drawer with an external width of 600mm and a smart Orion Grey finish.
Hands-Free Opening Kitchen Bins
One of the many benefits of modern living is the introduction of hands-free technology. We have several options for hands-free opening of some of our in-cupboard bins, either with an electrically-operated system or with a foot pedal. Both methods can be used with pull-out doors to ensure an easily accessible way to open an in-cupboard bin.
Take a look at our sophisticated Hailo Libero Sensor Opening System which is a great option for hands-free opening of your kitchen bin.
Free-Standing Kitchen Bins
We offer two styles for our free-standing bins: recycling bins, which have 2 or 3 compartments inside, and single compartment bins. Recycling bins are great space-savers in the kitchen because they allow you to sort and store your recycling and waste in one neat place. Single compartment bins can of course be very compact and fit into tight spaces.
Two great choices for compact kitchens from our recycling bins range are the Joseph Joseph Totem, which has a neat footprint but is cleverly designed to give you three useful compartments, and the Brabantia Touch Recycling bin, which has a flat back to sit close to the wall and a rounded front shape concealing two inner bins.
At Binopolis, our In-cupboard bins and free-standing bins can create ideal opportunities for smaller kitchens to maximise space, optimise utility and enjoy modern living.
We hope you have enjoyed our guide to where to put a bin in a small kitchen. Check out our Buying Guides for In-cupboard Bins, Recycling Bins or contact us for more information.
