Best kitchen recycling bins 2021: Manage waste with these clever designs

Best: Overall

Rating: 10/10

This is a bin that looks great in kitchens, as well as living rooms and offices. Its slate-inspired colour scheme minimises the risk of a colour clash, and it achieves that rare feat of being both incredibly practical and effortlessly stylish. The features we loved the most are simple ones often overlooked, whether it’s the dual pedals (in our experience, most dual bins rely on one pedal to open a single lid, but here both bins have separate lids and pedals), the deeply inset handles on the side, or the fact that bin lids don’t slam open fully when the pedal is pressed – they don’t quite reach a vertical axis, minimising the risk of wall marks. The flush surface means it’s easy to clean, and the generously-sized holes in each bin make fitting liners easy. And trust us, when a bin looks this fabulous, bin liner muffin top is a major faux pas.

Best: For larger homes

Rating: 9/10

This is a brilliant option for larger kitchens, and fantastic proof that larger bins don’t mean sacrificing everything in the style stakes. We love a high gloss finish but we’re wary of fingerprints, and all too often so-called fingerprint-proof bins don’t cut the mustard. Not so with this one, which remained stubbornly pristine, even after we’d used wet hands to grapple with the bin as we removed a seriously stubborn liner. We loved the fact that the wide foot pedal had grip marks for easy opening, and the tall, slim bins are easily removable and big on practicality, with stuff holes for excess bin liner material and generously sized metal handles on both. The soft closing – a rare thing on a bin of this size – was a welcome surprise, too.

Best: For delicate floors

Rating: 9/10

This tardis-like bin comprises two bins beneath the smoothest finish we’ve ever felt – one which is so smooth we couldn’t stop touching it (and trust us, we’ve never said that about a kitchen bin before). It’s got a simple, sleek design which makes it ideal for stylish, smaller kitchens – it’s large enough to gobble up a decent amount of waste, and a flash of bright green (added to differentiate one bin from the other) cranks up the style credentials. There’s plenty of practicality too, including internal holes to ensure bin liners can be pulled tight, raised plastic tabs on both bins for easy removal and four chunky rubber feet to protect hard floors. It’s also easy to clean (which is essential when it comes to our kitchen bin criteria), because of its open top design and easily removable rim.

Best: For sleek styling

Rating: 9/10

Recycling kitchen bins in pastel hues are few and far between, and on the rare occasions we’ve stumbled across one, they’ve rarely been things of beauty. Unlike this chunk of pastel perfection – a pale green bin with a smooth matte finish and two surprisingly roomy bins (both with looped handles) tucked beneath a soft close lid. We love the fact that one bin is a little larger – there’s almost always one type of waste people produce more of – and we’re seriously impressed by the top-quality feel, which relates to everything from the sturdiness of the foot pedal to the lid closure mechanism.

Best: For colour coordination

Rating: 9/10

This bin’s beauty is its simplicity, although we were admittedly sceptical at first. There’s no inner bin, which might be an issue for people who prefer removable ones when it comes to cleaning, although the lack of a pedal – a known hideout for germs – makes this process much easier. We initially questioned why it’s been labelled as a recycling bin when there’s just one space for rubbish, but then we remembered just how devoted Brabantia’s fans are to the brand, and we realised that it’s not so much a standalone bin, but one designed to be used with other Brabantia items. And, if you’re partial to a spot of bin-themed coordination, this is probably a brilliant option – there are dozens of items in identical colour schemes, which is great news for anyone keen to ensure their recycling bin doesn’t stand out in the wrong way. We also loved the supersized handle and the slimline design, which means it tucks effortlessly into the narrowest of spaces.

Best: For smooth opening

Rating: 8/10

This bin made us question our obsession with the sensors and motion detectors you’ll see on many bins, because the mechanism that opens the lid is the smoothest we’ve come across on a bin that opens manually – simply give the lid the lightest of touches and it glides back almost electronically. This bin, which has been designed with both compostable materials and smaller items of recycling in mind, can be attached to the side of kitchen units and comes with both a sticker (to attach it to walls or the side of kitchen cupboards) and a hook (which allows it to be slung over unit doors), as well as a slot for a fragrance capsule or carbon filter.

Best: For versatility

Rating: 9/10

We love this set of three recycling bags, labelled paper, plastic and glass, which offer a splash of geometric-themed style and can be hung over pegs and handles, but which are also sturdy enough to stand up by themselves. Their exteriors wipe clean (although the forgiving colour scheme means they’re incredibly low maintenance) and we loved the elegant ribbon-like handles, too. Suddenly, traditional bins look rather ugly.

Best: For a vintage look

Rating: 8/10

This waste-munching mean machine will take 12 litres of trash, split between two compartments. It’s incredibly light and looks wonderfully stylish; both the colour scheme and the rounded curves have a definite retro vibe. In short, if we owned a pad in Palm Springs, we’d have one of these in our kitchen. The lids open with the lightest of touches, and it’s another bin that is easy to clean, thanks to the lack of internal mechanisms you’ll see on pedal bins. Extra practicality points are awarded for the accompanying sticker set, allowing recyclers to denote each bin’s purpose. There’s even a sticker marked “harmful waste” which, for some reason, conjures up images of kitchen bins overflowing with radioactive slime, but perhaps that’s just us.

Best: For small spaces

Rating: 9/10

We love everything about this bin, whether it’s the matte, easy-clean finish or the nice wide pedal, which allowed us to open the lid without needing the precision of a ballet dancer – essential when we’ve got our hands full of food, frying pans or vegetable peelings. Its two compartments slide out incredibly easily, and the lid has one of the softest closing actions we’ve come across. We’d recommend it for smaller kitchens, although we reckon it will work equally well as a dedicated bin for a specific type of recyclable waste. Our advice? Get two or three for some colour-coordinated recycling action.

Best: For accessibility

Rating: 9/10

This bin’s square shape and open-top design makes it a perfect fit for those oddly-shaped nooks and crannies you’ll often find in kitchens. The rim pops off incredibly easily, and the absence of a pedal makes the interior wonderfully easy to clean. Four rubber pads protect delicate floors, and the accompanying stickers can be used to label bins accordingly. We’re admittedly weary of open top bins – who wants their trash on display, after all? – but the stylish exterior combined with the splash of lime green, means we’re more than happy to have this garbage guzzler on display.

Best: For sustainability

Rating: 8/10

It was love at first sight with this bin, which provides undeniable proof that big is beautiful. It’s also pretty sustainable – there was (unlike almost every other bin) no plastic wrapping, and the lid is made from birch plywood, while the bin itself is made from recycled plastic. The best bit? It’s not just a brilliant kitchen bin (or at least three smaller bins, which slot side by side), but if you’re lucky enough to have a larger kitchen, it will double as a seat – and one which will take up to 100kg. All three of the bins have double handles and slide out incredibly easily, and one of the three bins has its own lid, which makes it the obvious container to use for compostable items.