Recycling system for a tiny kitchen?

[becstarlitsea]

we don't currently recycle. And of course, we really should, and I want to start. But our kitchen is tiny, more like a kitchenette really - no floor space - and I will need to find a way to keep separate non-recyclable and recyclable. Also, we are in a large block of flats up 6 flights of stairs so each bin has to be easily portable while holding a 3 year old's hand on steep stairs. Quite happy to do two trips - the recycling bins are on the other side of the estate to the normal bins anyway - and happy to separate things by hand at the recycling bins rather than having separate bins for each type of recyclable item.

The system would need to be no bigger than 30cm diameter (in total for both recycling and non-recycling - we can't fit 2x30cm diameter bins in, or we wouldn't be able to stand in front of the hob when cooking) and no taller than 83cm tall.

Anyone seen anything that could help us start doing our bit for the environment?

Ikea do bins that go in the cupboard that are in segments for different recycling. You can also get chrome bins that are split lid (B&Q did them).

Hi becstarlitsea - I did see a little recycling thing in Asda last week, i think it was designed to go in a cupboard? It had things to seperate the recycling too.
Sorry its a bit vague I just glanced at it and thought it was a good idea but didnt really look at it. HTH x

We have Ikea sliding ones under the kitchen sink - the big size of bucket for all the recycling, half-size each for land-fill and wormery stuff. Ther's still room under the sink for washing powder and a bit of cleaning stuff. Top-tip - get two of the buckets to sit inside each other, and then you can lift one out, present to DH to drop off at recycling on the way to work, and you've still got a bin in place for the recycling that you do that day.

my recycling 'system' is a carrier bag on the back of the door for recycleables! I jsut empty it when it gets full.

If we had a door to the kitchen Chops, I'd do that! But our kitchen is too small for a door - there is a space about half the width of a normal door where you can edge into it from the hallway. Or where someone can stand chatting to you while you're cooking because you can't both stand in the kitchen at once (picture becstar wearing baker boy cap and patched clothes singing songs from 'Oliver' at this point...oh, our kitchen is too small for a door, please sir, can I have some more?)

I'll look at cleaning out the clutter essential household items we currently keep under the sink, that might well help. And I'll have a look in Ikea and Asda and so on, tape measure in hand. We will find a way to do this...

There's this that can go under the sink (or on a shelf?),
or we have some of these, but I think they're bigger than your spec.
Or there are these, but again, they're not small, but foldable, when you're not using them, and would squish into a smaller space.

what about getting one of those plastic drawer towers?

they sell them in homebase and wilko's etc.

it's not strictly a bin, but you'd put the bag in the one you're using for rubbish and then the (washed) recyclables in the other drawers.
then you can just take out the drawer when it's time to take them to the outside bins.

and they'd be easy to clean too.

like this

or this

Oh, good ideas, thank you!

I particularly like the look of the bags as they'd be so easy to carry down all the stairs, but I'll have to measure. They might spill out into our hallway which is a bit full of laundry drying etc. as it is... I could perhaps buy a smaller kitchen bin to sit alongside them to make more space.

Must sort out under our sink... The cupboard is crammed but I'm sure a lot of it is junk.