Is it possible to recycle without clutter?

Hardup_Hester

As I've said before on here I don't do housework or at least I keep it to a minimum. I try to keep everywhere tidy so all I need to do is a quick swipe round & the house looks ok.
My real bugbear is recycling, although my kitchen is a good size it's all fitted so there is no room for extra bins, I don't have a utility room or anywhere else to store my recycling for the 2 weeks between collections. Any ideas? I'm really fed up with tripping over assorted boxes & bags. I know I could take the stuff to our local recycling bins, but it's too far to walk & if I drive there weekly then I'm using extra petrol, it all seems self defeating.
Hugs Hester

ceridwen

I'll also be interested in this - bring on the replies. I hate housework as much as Hester and I've got zilch space for storing stuff for recycling (utility room, garage, conservatory, junkroom are all conspicuous by their absence and the kitchen is small and badly-planned).

I do wish the local Councils would have recycling bins for everything in every street - so one could just put in yesterday's "contributions" on walking down the road "today" whilst just going about ones daily business - without having to go out of the way at all. It would be so much more efficient at getting us all to recycle. Those little containers that most of us are given by Councils are totally inadequate on the one hand and - when left outside - clear evidence to all passing thieves whether we are around that week or no - I know I've had a blazing row with a jobsworth before now at the local Council (that ceridwen temper - whoops!) that I want to recycle - but they are preventing me from doing so by expecting me to leave a personal recycling container right outside my house indicating whether I am there or no.

ubamother

a friend has 3 cheap kitchen bins in 3 colours that she keeps outside near her wheelie bin - for glass/tins/paper. it looks neat and as our council recycling bins are just lidless plastic boxes open to wind and rain, stays neater as well. the different colours mean the kids can help as well.

thriftmonster

I keep my glass and tetra packs in the front porch. Everyone who knows us well comes to the back door - so if you don't know me well enough - tough you have to fall over my recycling.

Honest answer - without a big recycling bin, there is always clutter - and I only have to keep glass etc - the rest goes in the blue bin.

stefejb

I have a big old fish basket on top of the microwave - everything goes into it and then gets sorted on a wednesdy night before the collection. Plastics have to be dropped off at the bin at tesco so i generally have bags of plastics outside the front door to remind me to take one or two and drop tehm off on the way to work. Our recycling is collected once a week so i'm luckier than most

metherer

For anyone who has room for a standing bin in their kitchen, i recommend this site:

http://homerecycling.co.uk/catalogue.php?category_id=1

We have two of the trio bins (£24.90), giving us 6 sections in total for stuff. (Our old kitchen bin now holds compost at the allotment.)
1) General waste for the main bin.
2) Compost section, which we use their cornstarch bags for
3) glass
4) tins
5) cardboard/paper
6) tetra packs and plastic bottles. Both have to be taken into town, so we put them in together.

We're quite lucky though in that we have a full sized wheelie bin for our recycling, takes glass, tins, and cardboard/paper. Not everyone in our town does though, which is rather odd. Its collected fortnightly by Craven District Council.

The site also has stacking bins, bags, and all sorts. Might be worth a look. We especially like them because apart from the super speedy delivery they use cornstarch packing chips which can be composted. If you don't have a compost bin then just put some water in your sink, add the chips, and they dissolve harmlessly. My cats try to eat them.

Hope it helps someone.

Metherer

Bogof_Babe

We keep ours in the cupboard under the stairs, which opens onto the kitchen. It's only tiny, just room for the hoover, veg rack and pan rack, but we have hooks on the wall with bags-for-life hanging from them for the recycling.

pigpen

We have stupid stacking box style things for our recycling. I have a carrier bag in the cupboard which I put out daily.. it usually has several tins and milk and juice cartons in.. So I don't have much in the kitchen at any point.. I find it easier to sling it out straight away though which I often do.. 100ft walk there and back so good exercise lol

pmorrisjones

I HATE clutter too. We have bags emptied once a fortnight. However, we saved the recycling bins from the last scheme (of course the council never waste money doing things and then changing the scheme!). They have lids I'm glad to say. We collected the unused ones that had been left outside holiday homes since the old scheme started (some people visit these homes once every 2 years). We now have 4 bins organized above/below an old coffee table, plus a large container found on a beach. All stored next to rubbish bin/back gate/shed so useful for when children empty bedroom bins (weekly!). We don't have a large garden but this seems to keep them neat and almost out of view of garden (screened by a bay tree, in a pot, between my old bench in garden and shed. Hope this helps

sillyvixen

Bogof_Babe wrote: »

We keep ours in the cupboard under the stairs, which opens onto the kitchen. It's only tiny, just room for the hoover, veg rack and pan rack, but we have hooks on the wall with bags-for-life hanging from them for the recycling.

i keep my plastic bottles in bags under the stairs - the idea being that i remember to put them in the car when i am going to tescos and put them in the recyling bin their (i generally forget and end up with loads!!) as i keep not only my hover, ironing board etc their i also have my freezer under the stairs so its just more clutter to move to get to the frozen peas!! the bags from hooks is a great idea i will get some and do that.. thanks for the idea bogof-babe:T
our council provide green lidded bins for cans,paper and glass and you can request extras if needbe and they will deliver it at the next recycling collection they stack so dont take up ant extra space - i have 2.

Ben84

We kept our old round plastic dustbin from way back before the council changed over to wheelie bins. We keep it outside and stick all the glass, foil and scrap metal in there until we're going somewhere we can recycle it.

All the other recylables, card/paper, tin cans and plastic bottles go in the recycling bin which is emptied by the council.