I don’t know about you, but with mail order shopping on the increase, and more and more foods coming in multiple layers of packaging, our kitchen had turned into a giant recycling centre…and a very messy looking one at that. 

Apparently in 2023, 64.8% of UK packaging waste was recycled, increasing from 62.4% in 2022. Many kitchens now have built-in recycling bins, but our kitchen lacks these, so one corner had a container for paper and a bag for glass and cans etc. 

My poor husband was continually moaning about the mess,  and we were having to keep taking consignments outside to the collection bins. 

It not only looked dreadful, but it was high time we decided to do something about it!

The Solution: Special bins from EKO

After some considerable research, we discovered the fabulous range from EKO, with some 23 (yes, 23) different options for recycling bins on the webpage here. 

Obviously, as you can see from the mess in the photo above, we needed to get something pretty substantial, so opted for the EKO ECOCASA II – a large capacity recycling bin in fingerprint resistant, coated steel. It has two colour coded removable compartments (2 x 30 litre) for easy waste separation. 

It’s made from fingerprint resistant brushed steel too (something I hadn’t even considered as necessary, but actually it’s brilliant). 

You can line it with bags, but to be honest that just adds to landfill and the bins are easy enough to swill out if they get messy. 

There’s a space in the lid for a deodoriser but we haven’t needed this, as we’re pretty careful about rinsing containers.  

Hands Free too

Another great feature is that it has a foot pedal to open the lid, but also, you can press a switch to keep the lid open if, like my husband does, you like to cut up cardboard to maximise capacity.

I can’t tell you what a difference it’s made:  not only does that corner of the kitchen now  look smart and tidy, but the bins are surprisingly capacious, so don’t actually need emptying that often.  

If you haven’t already invested in some form of recycling bin, I would urge you to think about it;  it’s so nice for us to have a tidy corner of our kitchen now! 

There’s a lot more info on the EKO website www.ekohome.co.uk