I would keep the trash can by the prep area....do you have space to convert a cabinet into a pull-out for trash?

I don't see why not! there are very cute trash can pantry cabinets that could hide the visual fact of a trash can as well give you additional counter space. like this one as an example

Not gross but not ideal, post a pic of your kitchen.

Hmm - no - we empty it often. We use our garbage disposal a lot too and recycle ( which we take recycling to outside bin right away)

Just wanted to make sure placing trash can in pantry was thought of as “gross” by others.

** just wanted to make sure placing trash can in pantry was not thought of as “gross” by others.

Maybe it just me. I try to keep it as far I can from food but somewhat easily accessible. At least our trash can doesn’t over flow now -
Can’t make room for it in a cabinet since we just finished rebuilding - so no plans for that in near future.
Thanks for feedback-
We have space next to a counter so if this gets old ( or I just keep thinking maybe it’s kinda gross ) I will just add some non scratching surface to bottom of trash can and leave it out in open.

Thank you!

Pantry items are to right - the dark area is storage area under our stairs ( missing light fixture under there - reason it’s dark)

Inside a pantry is an inconvenient spot. That’s what will make a mess. People will wait to fill up the trashcan until they have a couple handfuls of trash so it’ll stay in the kitchen.

We have a small plastic bag lined waste can in the cupboard, under the sink. When it gets full, we take the can and empty it into a larger waste can which is in the closet of the laundry room. I personally do not like to see waste cans out in plain sight. The one Trinity posted would be ideal if you don't have room to have a hidden waste can.

I have a large one with a lid in my walk-in pantry, and another smaller one for stinky stuff under the sink. The large one never has any odors to it, and gets emptied about 2 x a week..the smaller one goes out every day. This has worked well for us in an older kitchen where no pull out bin was designed. I will have 2 areas for trash in my new kitchen also, stinky one and a larger pull out one. We are a large family, this was easy to train everyone to use...does it/will it stink, then you know where it goes...I don't want to be a garbage police ;)

Compost in the prep area, trash under the prep sink and recycling (after it is washed, as necessary) in the pantry. I wouldn't keep compost in the pantry--that would be too "ick" for me. Standard trash probably would be too. Anything ick needs to be close by and emptied often.

I don’t think a trash can in a pantry is inherently “gross,” but it doesn’t seem super functional or convenient if it’s your only trash can.

I have one in my walk-in pantry. It mainly ends up with packaging trash after I put stuff like pasta into my resealable containers. Not typical kitchen waste:

For starters all the stuff you run down the carburator needs to go in the compost except meat and IMO garbuerators should have long since been outlawed As for trash it needs to be where you generate real trash IMO not in the pantry,Trash needs to be emptied when full so a small can under the sink is perfect.Your recycling bins can be in the pantry for sure.

wow, Patricia.

Where I live (Toronto, Ontario) the bylaws prohibit garburators. Thankfully we have green bin collection every week which gets composted by the city, a much "greener" alternative.

I wouldn't want to have trash with the food...smelly or not. It seems very unsanitary and, yes, "gross" to me, YMMV.

Regarding functionality, as others have said, the majority of trash and recyclables are generated while preparing a meal (prepping) and cooking and it would be very inconvenient to have to traipse all over to dispose of things. Trash pullouts/cans should be in the Prep Zone and near the Cooking Zone. It's also nice if you can get it near the Cleanup Zone, but not as crucial.

We do have a garbage disposal and am glad we do. No compost or similar pickup where we live and I don't compost.

Thank you for all the feedback!

I think it would depend on how you dispose of trash. I don't find it inherently off putting to have a standard kitchen receptacle with a sealed top in the pantry. I am not understanding why that is somehow weirder than keeping it in the kitchen - if anything there is more food related stuff in a kitchen and people normally EAT in a kitchen versus a pantry.

But I am coming from a place where anything that is remotely smelly or insect attractive gets dumped from wherever it is stored fairly regularly. I also have a garbage disposal which means that a lot of the food type of trash which is really which becomes problematic when left for awhile isn't kept anywhere.

However as others have posted, how are you planning to dispose of normal items that don't go into the garbage disposal - i.e. packages that contained chicken or food containers or whatever. There are very tiny counter top garbage containers which are similar to Rachael Ray having a "garbage bowl" in which she put everything that was being disposed of during prepping.

Why can't you put a garbage container of some kind under the sink. I managed to eke out enough room in my sink cabinet for a roll out that holds the standard tall kitchen bag size container. Previously I had the same set up as OP with a Simple Human type of container with the foot lever but it was extremely inconvenient in terms of blocking one set of cabinets so I had to move it aside to access them.

I use a lined bowl a la Rachel Ray and seal and empty it often. The idea of garbage in a cabinet or pull out is far more gross than your plan.

13 gallon trash pull-out next to sink. Anything "wet / smelly" is put in plastic grocery bags (tied tight) before adding to the can.

Okay. I have a very old house with a very old kitchen and the layout is far from ideal. My stove is a stand alone stove with a passive hood and NO counters next to it. For a long time, I had a large garbage can sitting beside the stove. In my "brilliant" attempt to have a counter next to my stove, I purchased a small rolling kitchen cart with a butcher block top. I love this cart. I removed the garbage can and put this cart next to my stove. Very helpful to have a surface while cooking, plus I can have the look of the cooking utensils in a crock. Fast forward a few months....I got very tired of not having a specific place for the garbage can that was really convenient. Today, the cart is now acting as an "island" in my kitchen and the garbage can is again next to my stove. I can roll the cart over when I'm cooking and then place it back when I done, and the trash gets thrown away immediately.

I guess what I'm saying is to have your trash can where you need it the most.

Is a trash can in your pantry gross? No.

Is a trash can in your pantry inconvenient. Yes.

I wouldn't be opposed to a SECOND trash can in the pantry for big stuff -- for example, cereal boxes -- and a small trash can under the sink for small-and-smell stuff, which would be emptied more frequently.

Do consider a location for your recycling too. Pretty much no one seems to have a really good location worked out for both trash and recycling.

Actually, putting the recycling with the trash is very useful. The majority of recyclables are generated while cooking and prepping, so putting it with the trash is the best place for it. It's easy to throw things either in the trash (e.g., wrappings from meat) or recycling (e.g., empty cans or boxes)...all in one place.

Regarding trash pullouts -- they keep trash away from animals as well as segregated from food, etc. Mine is nowhere near where food is stored. Even though my pullout has a physical barrier b/w it and the drawer above, I use the drawer above for junk, not food, utensils, towels, etc. Some people use it for the trash bags that go into the bins...another good use.

(In our old Kitchen, we didn't have a place for trash so we had a standalone trash can with a lid that only opens if you step on it...our standard poodles learned how to open it! In our new Kitchen we have a 2-bin pullout. They cannot get into the pullout b/c it cannot be opened easily by nudging a cabinet door open or stepping on a foot pedal. They know it's there, but they cannot get to it!)

Trash can sitting out in the kitchen is gross to me

Obviously, we are all different and have different views about trash locations. The bottom line is...what do you and your family think?

I've cooked in kitchens like that and you wind up getting stuff all over the floor aa you transport it to the pantry. keep it where you create trash.

We have pullout trash and recycling under our sink. Sometimes we take the trash out before the bag is full because we’ve chucked out something that will stink (packaging on fish or the waste from making cat food)

It is occasionally inconvenient if someone is using the sink while you need to use the rubbish bin, but in a kitchen with only four base cabinets (under sink, dishwasher, oven, drawers) it was the only option.

In our new build we’ll have the same setup (not under the sink, but in a cabinet) plus a countertop bowl/small bucket for compostable scraps. This goes to the compost (or the pig/chickens) daily. I’ve had this setup in the past and really liked it. The only reason we don’t have it now is that we’re in a 5th floor apartment with no need for compost.

My in-laws previously kept their trash can in the pantry to stop their dogs getting into it. I didn’t find it gross, but I did find it inconvenient.