But finding the right bin to match your décor isn’t difficult as there is a huge range of modern, designer, traditional and retro bins that can provide the aesthetic requirements for your rooms. However, when looking to buy rubbish bins it is  important to remember their practical application too.

First they need to be able to hold  all the waste that will get thrown into them. This means in rooms like the kitchen, the bins will need to be larger than rooms where little waste gets thrown out.

Secondly, bins need to be able to hold the waste without smells or spills – especially food waste. And finally, bins need to be practical and easy to use.

When you find a design of bin you like, the first thing to do is to ask what type of waste will be disposed in there. With bins for the kitchen this means everything from food waste to tin cans, so a good strong, large bin with a good lid is essential. For other rooms such as the living room and bedrooms, most waste is only paper or not food based so simpler bins without lids can be used.

Next establish how much waste will be thrown into each bin. The more waste the bigger the bin. Many people use recycling bins now so they can separate waste as soon as they dispose of it. Its important to be able to distinguish what goes into each bin so colour coded recycling bins are the best solution.

Finally you need to establish how the bin will be used. A bin in the kitchen, for example, needs to have a lid that can be opened without having to touch the bin. This is for hygiene reasons and prevents the need for you to have to  keep washing your hands when you are preparing food. Pedal and sensor bins are commonly used in these areas.

Sensor Bin - opens automatically

Kitchen bins are the most important bin around the home. Not just because they are so busy, but nearly every type of waste, including food, is disposed into them. Food waste, in particular, can cause problems with smells, so ensuring the kitchen bin is appropriate will prevent your home from having nasty odours about the place.

The one essential aspect of a kitchen bin is therefore the lid. The lid will prevent any odours from escaping so all bins for the kitchen should have one, but the lid itself can cause its own problems.

A lot of what we do in the kitchen involves food and when we dispose of food waste this means we have to raise the bin lid, and the bin is not the most hygienic object in the home, no matter how often it’s cleaned. The result is that most of us spend our time going to and fro from the sink, every time we have used the bin.

There are several solutions to this problem but the traditional methods have their own problems. The first is the trusty pedal bin which has been around for years. The foot pedal raises the lid so you don’t have to handle the bin but the downside is that you have to feel around for the pedal which can be cumbersome in the middle of cooking.

Another method has been the swing lid where the weight of the food dropped into the bin causes the lid to swing out of the way. This, however, means the lid is never snugly fitted as it needs to be loose enough to swing and it can get very grubby with all that food bouncing off it.

A more modern and practical solution is the sensor bin. These kitchen bins have sensors that raise the battery operated lid when you approach. These are ideal for the cook because not only do you avoid handling the bin but the lid is snug enough to prevent smells and food waste never has to touch it so the bin remains clean.

Sensor Bin - opens automatically

From kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms, and living rooms, there is normally a bin sat in the corner of the room, but that doesn’t mean your waste bin has to be hidden away under a table or under a desk. Rubbish bins come in such a wide variety of styles, designs, sizes and shapes, they can become a part of your overall interior scheme, and even make attractive features themselves.

The type of waste that gets thrown away in each does go into deciding the type of bin that you will need – there is no point in sticking a waste paper basket in the kitchen, not when food scraps and peelings are disposed of; likewise, if there is only paper waste in a bin there is perhaps no needed for a lidded rubbish bin.

The most important bin to get right is in the kitchen. Kitchen bins need to be able to cope with a large variety of waste, from food scraps to empty cartons, whilst preventing smells and being large enough to cope with the household demands.

But they can also be stylish. Metallic bins and sensor bins are of a really good contemporary design and will suit most modern homes, while more modern plastics can, not only make attractive pedal bins and swing bins, but is also easy to clean.

Retro bins look great

Retro bins are also increasingly becoming common as nostalgia and fashion turns back to 60s, 70s and 80s. Designer bins can also look good in a bedroom or bathroom and for kids a novelty bin will help encourage them to keep the room tidy. Smaller sizes are best for these rooms though as the waste demands are a lot lower.

For the living room or office, waste paper baskets have moved on a long way. There are all sorts of modern materials that create attractive and functional litter bins for the front room or office and as the waste demands are low in these rooms a lot of them are very discreet ensuring the décor of your room is not spoiled by the rubbish bin.

But kitchen bins needn’t cause so much trouble by selecting the right bin you cannot only ensure your kitchen smells fresh and looks clean but also you can make recycling your household waste a lot easier.

Recycling bins for kitchens

We are all probably aware of the need to recycle and whether you want to or not, the chances are your local authority is insisting you recycle some of the waste that you throw away. But separating all these items can be chore some, but it needn’t be.

Recycling bins for kitchens are an easy way of getting the household to separate the waste before it all ends up on the pavement for collection.

Some recycling bins come in sets with colour coded tops, this allows you to dictate what type of waste goes into each bin. And if this takes up too much space for your kitchen, you can get multi-compartmental recycling bins that have separate compartments on just one bin.

These double or triple compartment recycling bins are also colour-coded and are ideal for a busy family that is keen on recycling but not so keen on the hassle.

Hands-free bins

Recycling, is not the only concern for many kitchen bin users. Often the kitchen bin itself can be an annoyance. Not only can they become very messy as waste food gets dripped down them but also they are the number one culprit for causing smells.

Sensor Bins are an ingenius and high tech solution

Also, as handling a kitchen bin means having to wash your hands ensuring easy access is also important for the humble kitchen bin.

Pedal bins, swing top and single touch bins can remove some of the hassle but a sensor bin is perfect for a clean, smell free and easy-to-use solution for disposing of kitchen waste. These stylish and automatic bins open their lids when you approach enabling you to throw waste away with non of the hassle – and you don’t have to handle the bin either.

]]> http://www.imrubbish.co.uk/blog/2010/08/kitchen-bins-%e2%80%93-from-sensors-to-recycling/feed/ 1 http://www.imrubbish.co.uk/blog/2010/07/beauty-of-the-sensor-bin-%e2%80%93-design-style-and-practicality/ http://www.imrubbish.co.uk/blog/2010/07/beauty-of-the-sensor-bin-%e2%80%93-design-style-and-practicality/#comments Fri, 30 Jul 2010 15:42:48 +0000 Richard N Williams http://www.imrubbish.co.uk/blog/?p=208 The world of technology seems to be travelling faster and faster. Within the last decade we have seen the rise of mobile phones, the internet and a whole of host of gadgets, gizmos and ways of communicating. But one area where you wouldn’t expect all this sci-fi technology to infiltrate is the kitchen, and in [...]


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]]> The world of technology seems to be travelling faster and faster. Within the last decade we have seen the rise of mobile phones, the internet and a whole of host of gadgets, gizmos and ways of communicating.

But one area where you wouldn’t expect all this sci-fi technology to infiltrate is the kitchen, and in particular, the humble kitchen bin.

However, even the menial kitchen bin has had a twenty-first century make-over in the guise of the sensor bin.

Sensor bins

Sensor bins are not just stylised gizmos either. They make look modern and designer but there is practicality behind them as they are an ingenius solution to a common problem:

Handling bins is way of spreading germs around our kitchen so every time you throw something in the bin you should thoroughly wash your hands – but do you, and if so, you know how annoying this can be, having to keep running to the sink as you are preparing a dinner.

There are swing-top and pedal bins that do solve this problem but swing tops have the problem of the lid getting dirty very quickly while pedal bins can be cumbersome to use.

Sensor bins, as their name suggests, sense when you approach with a handful of waste. The bin lid, controlled by a battery powered motor, raises the lid and then closes it once you have disposed of the rubbish and walked away. This means you don’t ever have to touch the bin and the bin lid will remain clean.

Sensor bins are not cumbersome either. Most sensor bins raise the lid silently,quickly and effortlessly and are so easy to use you’ll wonder how you lived without them.

They are stylish too, many of them are made from a good quality steel that is easy to clean and looks modern and contemporary – and will suit any kitchen from the rustic to the modern.

Ensor Bins are an ingenius and high tech solution

They are not expensive either, many sensor bins can be purchased at a relatively low price, especially from online rubbish bin suppliers and they come a variety of sizes – up to 50 litres, large enough for even a commercial kitchen.

Coping with all this rubbish is down to the humble dustbin, wheelie bin or household bin. But things have been complicated in recent years with the need to recycle, fortnightly bin collections and restrictions to the amount of waste some households in the country are permitted to throw away.

All this has made getting rid of household rubbish a complicated task. Having to use different bins for recycling, trying to avoid pests and smells, and keeping on top of the household waste can be a chore. But here are some tips to make dealing with your rubbish problems a whole load easier:

Kitchen

Perhaps the busiest bin in the house. Nearly everything gets chucked into the kitchen bin from food scraps to old cartons, tins and wrappers. One of the biggest problems with kitchen bins is the mess and smell they can produce. But there are simple ways to reduce this. Firstly, a good tight fitting lid is a must for any kitchen bin. This will prevent smells but the lid does pose other problems.

As we frequently cook in the kitchen, touching the bin is unhygienic – so rather than frequent hand-washing you should consider a pedal bin, swing-top or even a sensor bin. Sensor bins are fantastic as they open and shut automatically, sensing when you are near and raising the lid just in time.

Sensor Bin - opens automatically

Recycling bins

To make that task of separating different items into different bins consider buying recycling bins.

Many of these are colour coded so you can separate waste before you have to put it into the different recycling receptacles outside. And if you haven’t room for several different bins – think about a double triple compartment recycling bin which are a convenient and space saving way of separating waste.

Bin deodorisers

All kitchen bins should be cleaned regular to prevent smells but a great way of ensuring your kitchen doesn’t stink of rubbish is to use a bin deodoriser. Bin deodorizers ensure your bin smells fresh and clean – no matter what you have been throwing away.

This frequent hand washing can be really problematic, especially if you are constantly using the bin and having to run to the sink. However, bin lids are important, especially when you are dealing with organic material as those in kitchens or hospitals do. Infection and pests need to be deterred and the smells and risk of infection are also reduced by a good fitting lid.

However, here lies the problem. A lid has to be lifted for items to be disposed of; hence the need to touch the bin and the following requirement to wash your hands in some industries.

There are of course different automatic methods of raising the bin lid:

Swing-top bins are a simple solution but the problem with swing lidded bins is that not only does the lid get very dirty with waste constantly falling on it; to be able to swing the lid needs a sufficient gap which means it is ineffective at keeping in smells.

Pedal bins are another solution but they can be quite cumbersome to use and require a pedal to be sticking out of the bin; and while the lids are often a tighter fit than swing bins, they are still not perfect.

There is however, a modern solution – the intelligent sensor bin.

Sensor Bins don't require any contact

Intelligent bins use a sensor that when approached automatically raises the lid of the bin thanks to an electric motor. The lid also shuts itself once your hands are clear so there is never a need to touch the bin at all.

The lids react at the perfect distance and quite swiftly so there is no waiting around for it to open. These automatic sensor bins have great tight fitting lids and are of a modern practical design that also looks the part and can save you time, especially in a busy kitchen or food production area.

There has been a trend in the last decade of home improvement. Many people are choosing to invest time and money in their homes; and why wouldn’t we – we all like to live in a nice home.

Carpets, curtains, interior furnishings and wall paper are often changed to keep up with the latest designs and to ensure the household décor is complementary. And yet in all this refurbishment there is one item that is in every room that rarely gets an upgrade – the bin.

While many of us may change the wallpaper, three-piece suite and carpets – every few years or so – often the same tatty waste bin has been sitting on the corner through every generation of improvement.

Tucked under a coffee table or behind the toilet cistern the same problem occurs in nearly every room – the chic new furnishings are let down by the small embarrassment tucked in the corner.

And bins are in every room and yet we hide them away so they become a nuisance to use. These practical parts of our furnishings can and should be shown off as part of a regular furnishings.

Household bins may hold our rubbish but that doesn’t mean they have to look rubbish too. The bin has to sit in nearly every room so why not make sure it looks good too.

Designer bins are available now that can blend and match nearly any interior theme of a home. Often they are made from shiny alloys and have a modern trendy feel. They can also be really practical and have some great mechanisms for opening the lids.

Some sensor bins you don’t even have to touch, they have movement sensors on the lid so as soon as you come close they open up allowing you to drop any waste in them without having to handle the bin. These are great for kitchen or bathroom bins.

Other designer bins are available for nearly every room in the home, from living room bins to designer waste paper bins – and there are even bins for kids. So have a look in the corner of your rooms and ask yourself – am I ashamed of my bins?