Rubbish Bins & Pedal Bins

Design bins and pedal bins – how to find the right model for your home

1. Why separating waste matters
2. What should be separated, and where does it go?
3. Size and capacity
4. The right bin for the kitchen and bathroom
5. The ideal material
6. Summary

1. Bins and pedal bins – why separating waste matters

Every year, households in Germany produce more than 40 million tonnes of household waste. Much of it is packaging. This can't always be avoided, but it's important to recycle as much waste as possible to conserve natural resources and reduce energy consumption. Separating waste is the key, because to produce high-quality recycled material, waste should be as clean as possible and sorted into the right categories. With a few simple steps, separating waste at home isn't complicated at all – and it helps the environment.

2. What should be separated, and where does it go?

To make separating waste at home easy, use a separate bin for each type of waste. The following categories are used:

• Recyclables: These include plastic, aluminium, tinplate and composite materials such as drinks cartons or coated packaging.
• Organic waste: Everything that is biodegradable goes in here. This includes kitchen waste, garden waste, coffee grounds and filters, tea and tea bags, and food leftovers (including cooked food).
• Glass: As the name suggests, this is for glass bottles and non-returnable jars.
• Paper: Everything made of paper goes in here – cardboard, boxes, egg boxes, magazines and newspapers.
• General waste: Anything that doesn't fit into the categories above goes here, e.g. hygiene products, rubber, leather, porcelain, fabric scraps, soiled paper, frying fat, vacuum cleaner bags and pet litter.

3. Size and capacity of bins

Depending on where you use them and the size of your household, the capacity of bins and pedal bins plays a key role:

Bathrooms and toilets
Here, you mainly throw away general waste such as hygiene products, but also recyclables such as shampoo and shower gel bottles, so for the bathroom, bins and pedal bins with a capacity of up to seven litres are perfectly sufficient.

Kitchen, utility room and storeroom
The amount of waste in the kitchen, on the other hand, is much higher and is mainly organic waste, general waste and recyclables. There's also glass and paper, but these can easily be collected in a storeroom or utility room.

For the kitchen, bins with a capacity of at least 20 – or better still 30 – litres each are the right choice. To separate everything properly, you can set up several bins or use one bin with an integrated separation system. If you're short on space or have a family household, bins with a built-in compactor are also a good option, as they reduce the volume of packaging waste.

4. The right bin for the kitchen and bathroom

As well as capacity, the opening mechanism and the opening itself determine where a bin works best.

In the bathroom, the following types of bin are particularly suitable, each with its own advantage:

• Pedal bins (1) are very practical, as you don't need a free hand and, with smaller models, you don't have to bend down. The opening is also relatively large.
• Swing-lid bins (2) can be used with one hand.
• Open bins with a small opening (3) are practical for small items of waste and don't require any contact with hands or feet.
• Small bins with a separation system (4) are ideal for sorting general waste and packaging waste in the bathroom.

"In most homes, bathrooms and guest toilets are among the smallest rooms, so it's especially important to create a sense of calm and order while still keeping everything you need to hand. Pieces from the same series are the best way to combine both – an effortlessly cohesive look with a matching bin, soap dispenser and toilet brush." – Viktoria, interior expert

In the kitchen, utility room and storeroom, these bins are particularly practical:

• Pedal bins (2) have the advantage in the kitchen too that you don't need your hands to open them – especially useful when your hands aren't clean while cooking.
• Swing-lid bins (1), as in the bathroom, can be used with just one hand.
• Bins with a lid (3 + 4) have the advantage of a large opening for bulky waste. This makes them particularly suitable for general waste and recyclables.

Organic waste needs a different bin. Unlike general waste and recyclables, it shouldn't be collected in an extra bin bag, but loose or only in paper bags. Alternatively, you can wrap moist organic waste, such as potato peelings, in kitchen roll or line the organic waste bin with kitchen roll.

Because organic waste tends to smell, small food waste caddies – ideally with an odour filter – are recommended, so that you don't collect too much at once.

5. The ideal material for bins

Plastic, metal, stainless steel and rubber are the best materials for bins, as they are all stable, robust and easy to clean inside and out. Each material also has its own advantage:

• Plastic comes in a wide range of colours and is lightweight.
• Stainless steel looks high-end and fits in particularly well in modern kitchens.
• Metal also comes in a wide range of colours and, depending on the design, supports the popular industrial look.
• Rubber is a natural product, and its feel creates an interesting contrast with its purpose.

6. Summary – what to look for when buying a bin

• When separating waste, there are the categories of recyclables, organic waste, glass, paper and general waste.
• In the bathroom, a capacity of up to 7 litres is ideal, as you mainly throw away small items of general waste. Bins with discreet openings and a separation system are also a good choice, so that you can dispose of packaging from shampoo and the like separately from hygiene products.
• For the kitchen, where all types of waste are thrown away, several bins – pedal bins or bins with a flap – each with a capacity of at least 20 litres are the best choice.
• The best materials for bins are plastic, metal, stainless steel and rubber, as they are stable, robust and easy to clean.

Buy design bins and pedal bins online at Connox – your benefits at a glance

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