Waste and recycling around the home

Join the big beautiful bin movement

Planet organic

Food waste accounts for a large part of our household waste. The good news is that it is organic, so disposing of it properly can not only reduce landfill and greenhouse emissions, but also give you a lovely nutrient-rich compost for your plants.

FARMARKVAST is a handy little organic waste collector that sits on the worktop and blends in with the kitchen. The lid hangs on the side during prepping and cooking, then simply pops on after to trap unpleasant odours. Like many bins in the IKEA range, FARMARKVAST not only helps with recycling, but also contains recycled materials.

Divide and conquer

Separating bottles and boxes, cans and plastic sounds like a big task, but with separate containers it’s easy to build your own recycling station. Choose larger bins for bulky or more popular items, like bottles and cardboard and smaller ones for things like metal. The SORTERA waste sorting bin offers plenty of space and has a foldable lid for easy access when stacked.

Short on space? What about a cupboard or a drawer? A small spot under the sink takes up very little space and allows you to sort as you throw, making recycling even easier. Food and paper packaging to the left, batteries and lightbulbs to the right! To keep smells at bay, choose containers with lids for food waste, and open ones for bulkier, less smelly stuff.

Small space heroes

Even the smallest corner can become an impressive recycling station, thanks to stackable and wall-hung bins. TRÖSKNING bins are narrow and fit neatly on top of each other, making them great for tight spaces. They also boast a handy little flip-top opening for popping things in, while DAMMÄNG bins have both a large and small flip-top opening for easy access.

Holidays and parties are fun, but cleaning up, less so. Packable storage bags are great for whipping out when the wrapping paper, bottles and cans start mounting up. Once the big clean-up is over, simply fold them up and store them away until you need them again, or why not put them to work somewhere else around the home for things like toys or laundry?

More than a space for waste

Colours and finishes have become more important, as neutrals and muted tones replace standard black and grey, and curved edges and surfaces are about more than just nice design. “I remember sketching the DAMMÄNG Series, and I wanted to use a curved pattern because it brings a lot of personality, but it’s also good for the construction because it makes it more solid and strong,” explains IKEA designer Henrik Preutz. “And as for the round corners, when you live in a small space, if you have sharp corners, it’s easier to bump your leg, so the nice soft corners not only make it more beautiful, but also a bit safer.”

Desk duty

Now you may think that throwing away only occurs in the kitchen and bathroom, but rubbish often makes its way into other parts of the home, particularly around desk areas and in children's rooms. Adding a bin under the desk or in the corner of the room can avoid broken pens and waste paper from mounting on workspaces. And with so many styles to choose from, it's fun and easy to find something that's practical and fits in with your workspace aesthetic.

The smallest room

Bathrooms can often be overlooked, but if there's any room that needs waste management, this is it. Cleansing wipes, packaging and sanitary products are tossed away daily, but as they take up less space than kitchen rubbish, a small bin is ideal: Especially for a small household or ensuite bathroom. The downside is that bathroom bins are not usually emptied as often, which can cause unpleasant odours. Choose a bin with a lid and a leak-proof container to keep smells locked in, and a bin liner to keep the inside clean. A small foot-controlled pedal bin under the sink or one with a touch-top opening is perfect for when you’ve got wet hands.