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Looking for a pretty recycling idea..

13 years ago

In my town we can not combine cardboard and plastics/glass for recycling. in my kitchen I have a double trash pullout. 1-I use for trash and the other I use for recycling glass/plastics. I seem to have a daily build up of smaller cardboard boxes/paper towels etc. and now that the weather has gotten bitterly cold in the Northeast, running into my garage constantly is becoming a tad, well, annoying.

So I was thinking of putting some sort of basket or container on my countertop that could be emptied daiy/every other day.

Just wondering if anyone has anything they find to be useful for this use.. I of course could throw a basket, but with all the doodads out there, ya never know :)

Thanks

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Comments (6)

taggie
13 years ago
This isn't a pretty solution but just wondering if you have a drawer above your trash pullouts? If so, could you use that for cardboard recycling?

We have a drawer over our dual bins, and I find the 18" wide drawer the perfect size for recyclables (the drawer is 5" deep). I have to empty it a couple times a week on average, but it's a lot better than going out to the garage constantly.

My sister keeps her cardboard recyclables in a separate container under her sink ... would that possibly work for you?

Short of that, I can't think of anything to make a bunch of cardboard look pretty but admittedly I'm the most creatively-challenged person there is. Looking forward to what others have to suggest. :-)
katyde
13 years ago
We decided to use our double pull out "trash" receptical just for recycling - both sides, and our old and nice stainless rectangular trash can for non-recycling trash like we used to - it can be moved to where we are cooking. We do not compost kitchen scraps yet - only yard waste - and we recycle >80% of our waste so the "trash can" takes a while to fill but we dump the recycling in the garage bins often, like you.
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formerlyflorantha
13 years ago
I'm in the same boat--the garage is really cold and wet right now and sometimes I don't wear proper footgear.

I've been breaking down cereal boxes, etc., so they're flat and then shoving them alongside the trash bag in one bin of the pull-out and alongside the metal and glass in the other. We're still generating a lot of construction waste, so there's also a box in the kitchen or lobby right now to receive paper waste, but that situation better end once the construction is finished, yes?

I have wondered if there were some kind of magnetic bin that could be attached to the metal door to garage or the side of a refrig. that would accept newspapers. Anyone know of one? Have also considered having a newspaper-holding bin mounted on the hall side of the kitchen peninsula by the stools. The current newspaper(s) could ride in there until they get tossed--less unsightly than leaving them on the peninsula all day.
Fori
13 years ago
I dunno. Currently I stuff mine in with the newspapers. Unfortunately, those reside on a spare chair in the dining room.

If you do compost (not much during a NE winter I bet), a lot of cardboard stuff can go in the compost bin, but you'd still need a pretty place to store it until then.

I AM very close to going with Katyde's method because I don't like my stinky trash in the cabinet. It's just not working for us.
gillylily
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks for the responses. NOt such a bad idea about using the second trash pullout for recycling instead. Just don't know where I could put the trash that would be as convenient. I suppose if I could just really flatten everything out good and put it on the bottom of the cab as there is about 3 " to play with.
Thanks again and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
skimmton_chi
13 years ago
Is your garage attached to your home? Near the kitchen? My parents cut a small hole (about 1' x 1') into the garage, made a door for it and just drop the paper & cardboard in (the paper bin is below). It's off the kitchen and can be hidden by closing the door to the basement.

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