Find out why your neighbours have trusted Cabinet Plus for the past 60 years!
We’re Looking for New Team Members!
Kitchen Planning: The Importance of Trash
When planning for your kitchen remodel, it is important not to overlook one of the most used items in your kitchen: the trash can. We create waste while we cook and when we clean up. Because the kitchen is often centrally located, we even bring trash to the kitchen from other rooms. When you stop to think about it, we reach for the garbage can a lot!
The National Kitchen & Bath Association recommends the trash can be located within the main work triangle for ease of use. Thoughtful placement and capacity of waste containers will add to the convenience and enjoyment of your kitchen while minimizing unwanted smells and pests.
Thinking Outside the Can
The tendency is to put the garbage can where it has alwaysbeen. Some prefer the trash can underthe sink because its where guests expect to find it, because that’s where momkept it, because the dog can’t get to it there. Others prefer a free standing can because they don’t have to touch acabinet door with dirty hands or because they want the flexibility to pull thecan over to wherever they are working in the kitchen.
It is a good idea to think about how much trash andrecycling you and your family produce and how often you want to empty thecontainers. If your pick-up bins arestored nearby, you may want to empty your trash every day and you can use asmall can under your sink. If it’s along walk to your pick-up bins, you may want a larger can with a snug fittinglid you only have to empty a couple times a week.
Trash inside a cabinet
Pros
- Clean look
- Can be secured from kids and pets
- Can be part of the main work area, especiallyunder the sink
Cons
- Cabinet interior can be awkward to clean
- Likely to be touching cabinet door or hardwarewith dirty hands
- Container limited to cabinet size
- Takes up cabinet space that could be used formore storage
Trash in Free-standing can
Pros
- Can be moved to where its needed
- Visible when full
- Hands-free operation is available
- Easy to clean
Cons
- Knocked over by kids or pets
- Might be difficult to find a place for the cannear the prep area
- Visual clutter in the kitchen
Whichever preferences you might have, keep an open mind whenplanning for your new kitchen. Olderkitchens only needed a place for trash – now many of our clients want their kitchento also accommodate recycling and composting.
One Man’s Trash is Another Man’s Compost
If you’ve never been able to succeed at recycling or composting, your current kitchen is probably not set up to help you. There are many waste management styles and we can design your kitchen to help you meet yours.
If composting organic waste is important to you, plan on having a composting container near your prep area to quickly deal with fruit and veggie scraps. A bin that can be stored in the freezer can help with smells and pests.
We recommend including in your kitchen remodeling plans a holding spot for recyclable materials near a sink where items are often rinsed and make it large enough to hold a day or twos worth. A recycling bin just outside the main work triangle is great for both the cook and other kitchen traffic. Bonus if the holding area for recyclables is also in the direction of the outside or garage door where the pick-up bins are stored.
Kitchen Planning
At Cabinets Plus, our kitchen design professionals will work with you to create a beautiful and functional kitchen. To learn more about garbage, recycling, and compost solutions for your kitchen, visit our showroomat 706 E. Northwest Highway in Palatine, Illinois 60074.
