Recycling is a huge hot topic today. With landfill sites rapidly filling up, the Government is introducing recycling schemes throughout the country in an effort to get all of us to think very carefully about what we do with our rubbish. Without doubt the future will see local councils start to charge householders for the collection of rubbish, probably based on weigh and type of rubbish. Did you know that all wheelie bins contain a microchip that can be read to give an accurate weight of the rubbish in the bin?
If we think for a moment, it does make sense for us to try and cut down on the amount of waste we send to landfill and to try and segment our rubbish to make processing much more environmentally friendly.
Carrier bags are the current hot news item as they are not degradable so they will remain on the planet for a 1,000 years before they are broken down and absorbed into the soil. A recent article on www.bbc.co.uk reported that an estimated 13bn carrier bags are given away to UK shoppers each year.
Here at http://www.binsforkitchens.co.ukwe have established a reputation for supplying high quality integrated bins suitable for a range of cabinet sizes and recycling regimes, from 8 litres up to 90 litre capacities small flats to large households are catered for. A full back up service is also provided with an expert at the end of the telephone to assist when the bin is being fitted (full instructions are supplied with all bins supplied).
Which recycle bin should I choose?
Probably the first point to consider is do you want an integrated solution (one that fits into an existing kitchen cupboard) or a freestanding bin. The larger the cupboard available the bigger the bin you could choose. The largest bin the Hailo Euro Cargo 60 has a capacity of 87 litres with two 35 and two 8.5 litre bins giving the user the opportunity to segment all waste before it gets outside for the council to collect.
Where should I site the bin?
Many people look to put the bin under the sink, which is a great location but does come with its own problems i.e. pipe work. It is surprising how many people install the kitchen, get all the plumbing work finished then consider what bin will fit. A good tip would be to speak to the experts as to what bins would be best and then present the bin to the plumber to make sure the pipe work can be installed around the bin. One of the best bins for this situation is the Hailo Euro Cargo S 3614-52 which has a capacity of 49 litres split across a 30 litre and a 19 litre bin. It has built in soft close runners and is very simple to fit. It has a low height and depth meaning that pipe work can be positioned above and behind the bin.
How do I know if a bin will fit?
The starting point is always the width of the kitchen cabinet. This measurement is taken from one outside carcase wall to the other in a straight line. Typically the measurement will be 300, 350, 400, 450, 500, 550 or 600mm with the most common size being 600mm.
You then need the internal height and depth (front to back) of the carcase in millimetres.
If you are looking to fit the bin under a kitchen sink it is important to take the measurements from the pipe work especially the height under the pipe work and the depth available before the bin will hit the pipe work.
What sort of bins are available?
Free Standing Bins.
As the name suggests these simply sit on the floor and tend to be relatively high capacity, taking a single bin liner. The advantages are they take no installation, are easy to empty and usually have a higher capacity than other bins for less cost ie the purchase price per litre of capacity is less than other types of bins. They can be very attractive as demonstrated by the Hailo KickVisier 50.
Free Standing Recycling Bins.
These bins tend to be quite large as they have to be two or three bins in one. One of the most popular available is the Trio Recycling Bin, 60 litres which has a large storage capacity, with three twenty litre compartments, allowing your waste to be divided up before it is put out for your local council to collect. Brabantia also offer an attractive, two compartment bin called the Brabantia Twin Bin which has a ten litre and a twenty three litre bucket and is available in a range of colours and finishes. Brabantia also offer a “Fingerprint proof” version which is very simple to keep clean as fingers do not leave marks on the surface of the bin.
Wall Mounted Bins.
All mounted bins tend to be of wireframe construction so are not particularly attractive and are more suited to an office or a workshop environment. That said the smaller versions can be fixed to the back of a kitchen cupboard door and can be quite useful for small amounts of rubbish. They also have the advantage of being simple to fit as they are screwed to the door or wall. If fixing to a brick wall it is advisable to use the correct wall plugs and screws.
Bins For Hinged Doors.
Mainly manufactured by the German Company Hailo, these are a very clever idea. They are attached to the door in such a way that when the door opens the bin comes out attached to the door and the lid tends to remain in the cupboard. When the door closes the lid rotates into a closed position over the top of the bin. An excellent example is the Hailo 18 litre Uno Kitchen Bin which in polished stainless steel does look very attractive. These bins are quite simple to fit and are supplied with a template showing where to drill holes.
Door Front Fixing Pull Out Bins.
These are perhaps the Rolls Royce of the integrated bin solutions. They are fixed to runners inside the cabinet, which can be soft close in the latest models, have a high storage capacity, up to 90 litres and can have up to four compartments allowing complete segmentation of rubbish. They are removed from the cabinet by pulling the door towards you. Most also have a convenient shelf over the top of the bins that provides a lid for the bins and also storage space for bin bags and cleaning materials. A few examples include the Hailo Euro Cargo 60 , the Hailo Euro Cargo S which has the added benefit of being able to fit under a kitchen sink. It is both low and shallow allowing pipework to be accommodated behind the bin.
Pull Out Bins.
As the name suggests these bins typically are secured to the base of a cabinet, the door is opened normally and the bin is manually pulled towards the user. They are extremely simple to fit with fixing screws being placed through the bottom struts of the bin frame into the floor of the kitchen cupboard. A typical example would be the Hailo Easy Cargo 3668-50 .
Bins For Drawers.
These are a relatively new concept but do offer a great deal of flexibility in terms of the configuration of the bins. Some, like the Hailo XXL Space Saving Kitchen Bin fit inside a drawer box and simply pull out with the drawer. Others like the Ninka One2Five system are an integral part of the drawer box, which in the case of www.binsforkitchens.co.uk is supplied with soft close runners and all the fittings.
Written by:
Simon Taylor
Resident specialist on integrated and free standing bin solutions, www.binsforkitchens.co.uk .
simon@diyessentials.com
