I always like a trash near the sink and prep zone(s). If you put it to the left of the sink, it might be convenient to your island and the right of the cooktop which may be your primary prep zones?

I am trying to figure this out for my kitchen design as well and think next to the sink is the best place since it is close to your island for prep and also close to the sink for clean up.

Next to the sink. DW on one side, trash on the other. Should be situated so that one person brings the plates from the table and scrapes plate in the trash on one side while someone else rinses and put in the DW.

We solved the problem by having two -- one at the sink and a smaller one in the island, but our main sink is some distance from the island prep area so we had to do that. I would vote for having it by the sink if it's close enough to the island that a step or two will get you over to it. In my experience, I more often have drippy wet things to dispose of at the sink than at the prep area, where I tend to have "drier" thinks like outside ends of veggies or outer lettuce leaves and the like. If I have to move across a floor area, I'd rather do it with less soggy items... just my thoughts.

Thank you everyone. I kept thinking that the garbage should be next to the sink but my KD thought the island would be best. I feel better now having some more opinions. Thanks again.

I put my trash compactor in the island slightly offset and across from the sink. It is so much more convenient to me to turn and scrape anything that won't go into the garbage disposal.

When I've had the trash next to the sink in the past, it crowded me when the compactor was opened. I really hated it. I'm short and have tried leaning over the trash when other people were in the kitchen and trying to help by scraping plates, etc. I couldn't even reach the plates because they had to put them to the right of the pull out because they couldn't reach the counter when the trash was open, so my reach was further away from the sink. And I can't tell you how many times I got more 'stuff' on my blouse because I tried the boarding house reach. Being short, it made cleaning past kitchens ridiculous.

Having a big family and entertaining over 20+ for dinner about every two weeks, the garbage seemed to stay open a lot when it came to cleaning the kitchen. I hit my feet on the pull out so many times and hated it there especially when someone left it open. I would just not ever do it again knowing how much better life is with it in the island.

I never, ever prepare food on the counters next to my sink. I do wash food in the sink, but always prepare on the island, so it's so much more efficient to have the compactor in the island, open it and dump vegetable scrapings right into the trash. Crumbs...right into the trash.

My island is now 48" from the sink, so to have someone scrape a plate behind me and then place a plate right next to the sink is SO MUCH BETTER than having that garbage opened right next to me and them putting plates two feet away from the sink.

LOOKING AT YOUR KITCHEN, may I suggest that you put your trash in the island towards the 'fridge and island legs, which is my vote, OR if you are definite about having your trash next to the sink, then move your DW to the left of your sink and trash to the right to be closer to the eating areas and refrigerator. There will be a lot of steps to the trash and pass behind whoever's at the sink to carry foods to clear the dinner table or from the fridge when you clean it out.

I hope you have plenty of room to pass around your trash pullout so that your kitchen will flow.

There will be a lot of steps to the trash and pass behind whoever's at the sink to carry foods to clear the dinner table or from the fridge when you clean it out IF you keep the trash to the LEFT of the sink.

You will regret having the DW in the walking path to the sink should you leave it in the position that it is in now. I would place the dishwasher to the left of the sink and trash on the right if you are going to put the trash next to the sink. This way, the trash is closer to the fridge and table. Someone won't have to walk deep into the kitchen and in your way to throw away a drink can or trash.

my trash will be in my island across from my sink..we did it that way because we had no other place to put it..I think i will like it that way...

The thing is, with pull out trash cans you usually can do just that...pull the trash can out of the wood or metal frame. Mine is next to my sink but if I'm working at the island and need the trash can close by, I just take the plastic can out and set it on the floor next to me! I also have a second, stainless steel trash can in a corner by the island because we use one seat at our island for using the laptop. So we always have bills or paper that needs to be thrown away. Anyway, that trashcan can always be dragged to wear I need it as well. So put your trash CABINET where it's most convenient for you, you can always move the actual can when needed!

Thanks everyone for giving me your thoughts.
We initially had the dishwasher to the left of the sink but I figured out that I wouldn't be able to have it open and put the dishes away above the dw. So, we moved it to the right. I didn't really think about people having to walk through with dirty plates, garbage to throw. I suppose they could walk around. Or we could flip the island so that stools would face the sink giving more room between island and dw. I'm meeting with the KD on Tuesday. I think I'll have her try a couple of different layouts. Just when I thought I had things figured out too.

Hey, Jenna_J, I remember your kitchen plans!

My kitchen has the cleanup zone across from the narrow end of the island just like yours does. We put our trash pullout in the end of the island closest to the sink so it opens towards the sink.

We are REALLY happy with this setup. The trash is in the island, so when you use your island to prep, you can pull open the trash and push crumbs and scraps off the prep counter and directly into the trash. Because the trash opens towards the cleanup sink, it's placed well for scraping dishes before loading them into the DW.

Someone told me once that if you're right-handed, the dishwasher should go on the left. If you're left-handed, the DW should go on the right. The thinking behind this was that if you're right-handed, you'll hold a plate in your left, and scrap with you're right. Once scraped, you can simply place the plate in the dishwasher without changing hands.

Kind of makes sense to me, but I'm right-handed and still prefer my DW on the right. My right hand is steadier when it comes to getting things in the right slots in the dishwasher rack.

That being said, I prefer the garbage next to or under the sink. If I'm dealing with a drippy meat wrapper or some other sloppy piece of refuse from the sink, I don't want to drip across the floor.

Alku05-thanks for the info about your kitchen. How much room to you have between island and sink?

jamesk-It's in the 'right' location then - I am left handed. :)

Our aisle is wider than most people's because we have a large kitchen and we had plenty of space to spare. The aisle there is 54". However, the trash pullout only needs to be open 12" to fully expose the front can, so as long as you have a normal, reasonable aisle like 39-48", the setup I have will work great.

Thank you so much alku05. I met with my KD today. She has 42" on both sides and 50" on the cooktop side. I think that should work. I just did a search for your Kitchen and it's beautiful!

~Jenna

I have a garbage disposal in both sinks, so most plate scraping goes there. The trash compactor is in the island, facing (but a bit offset of) the corner main sink and facing the main cooking area as well. We moved it closer to the sink so that it can be open when the stove is open (a problem in the old kitchen). The sink can be in use with the compactor open, and it won't interfear with chef nutcase (DH) when he's busy whipping up mac and cheese...