How are your trash and recyclables picked up? Do you put out bags weekly or are you given bins to fill and then get carted to curb/alley? I just ask because if it's bins, many people create nice enclosures that might not enhance your garden, but might not detract - at least visually...

With your lack of "trash space" outside of your kitchen, my choice would be to devote 18" of base cabinet space for a trash PO. If needed, you could devote 1 or 2 cans in the pullout to recycling & still have the option to put a smaller trashcan (not a PO) under your sink for regular trash. You'd still have room under your sink for dish soap, etc.
Sounds like you're a gardener. You don't want a trashcan in the garden. Carrying trash down to the basement & back up for trash day sounds like a pain.

I refused junk mail I didn't want. Just write return to sender refused on the envelope and stick it in the mailbox. I rarely get junk mail now.

I refused junk mail I didn't want. Just write return to sender refused on the envelope and stick it in the mailbox. I rarely get junk mail now.

Romy - your post sneaked in with my last one. Yes, I think you're right about going ahead with the 18" PO, and possibly using another, smaller bin under the sink.

I'm so glad you "get me" about the garden. And, yeah, dragging trash to the basement is a PIA.

I'm wondering if people actually fit decent sized trash cans under the sink. It seems unlikely, with today's deeper sinks.

Zackey - I love that idea! I don't know, I wonder if they'd take back my junk mail in my city... that would be very cool!

ps: I'd like to do that with IRS letters, bills, and a whole bunch of other mail that isn't technically considered junk mail.

i used to have a simple human trash pullout under my sink and it was great. when i revamped, i decided i wanted a 2 basin sink and thought it would fit but alas it does not. i had too little cabinet space to justify dedicating one to a trash pullout.
if you dont have a disposal and are doing a one basin sink, you shouldn't have a problem. in my case it is the pipes that are in the way and i got a sink that takes up the whole cabinet.

Carrieb, I hear you about being creative with the trash as a single person. I had to be creative in my small kitchen and use an Easy Reach base corner cabinet for trash. Non-messies (Paper, boxes. etc.) go in the upper plastic basket and "messies" (egg shells, coffee grounds, etc.) either go in the lower basket or temporarily in the freezer. Fortunately my garage is attached with garbage cans out there.
I suggest you look for under cabinet trash containers, pull outs, & recycling on the containerstore.com website. They post all dimensions. You can also look for trash pull outs on the quikdrawers.com website. They have wood and wire pull outs to hold dual containers. Another thought is to have a local person make you an under sink custom pull out to fit around the pipes or discuss a custom pull out with Keith by calling the number on the quik drawers website.

Thanks, ardcp & Texasgal. I'd love to know how what kind of trash bin volume I could fit under the sink, and whether I can get two of them. The Rev-a-Shelf are already so darned expensive, I can't imagine doing something custom any time soon. I know that I would not be able to fit my current size cans.

Texasgal - I'll look at some of the links you suggest.

You know, one more thing I just realized - my kitchen trash & recycling are just about my only household trash bins. I have small bathroom trash bins in each of my two bathrooms, and the guestroom has a small bin.

If/when these fill up in between weekly pickup, they go in the kitchen trash. The only household waste that does not go in the kitchen bin is used kitty litter and compostables.

So, both KD's saying "well, you're a single person - how much kitchen trash could you possibly make?" Well, it's not just kitchen waste, it's LIFE waste.

If you google under sink trash pullout gardenweb and pull up images, you'll find lots of links to the great ways people here have come up with to deal with this. One that I remember is from this thread:
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0904530625748.html
I believe oldbat2be and badgergal had a couple of good ones

Here is a link that might be useful: under sink trash pullout

Thanks, Clueless. I actually did do a site search, but my search didn't yield me much - and even less that I could tell trash bin dimensions. Maybe I'll look around some more. I want to be able to fit 2, at least10 gallon bins.

Serious question here- if you are a single person who doesn't cook, what is the issue with having a dedicated pullout? What is the purpose of additional kitchen storage if you don't cook?

Seems like having a dedicated trash pullout makes more sense then trying to hide it under a sink when the rest of the kitchen cabs are going to be unused anyway.

Texas_Gem - well, I do eat. Think about all the foods that need storage, and not necessarily cooking (though I do sometimes cook rice, pasta, etc, so there's that, too) breakfast cereal, microwave popcorn, nuts, dried fruit, crackers, oils, herbs & vinegars for making salad dressing (and some cooking,) wine, sugar, salt, flour, sauces, chips & other snacks, tea, coffee, hot chocolate.

And then there are plates, cereal bowls, coffee mugs, water glasses, wine glasses, serving trays, cat food (dry & wet)...

Plus: tablecloths, cloth & paper napkins, tupperware containers (when I'm working a full day in a garden, I'll pack a sandwich, salad, etc,) party supplies (paper & plastic ware) party alcohol, takeout/delivery menus, plastic wrap/foil.

Currently, my tablecloths, place settings & cloth napkins are stored in the living room bureau. I definitely need more kitchen storage than I currently have. My cabinets definitely are not, and will not be unused.

This post was edited by carrieb on Fri, Jan 16, 15 at 9:20

(and I semi-intentionally did not mention that I actually do own pots, pans, collanders, cookie sheets, baking pans, a wok, ladle, wooden spoons, slatted spoon, spatula, measuring cups... and once in a while actually do use them, though I could probably reduce what I have of these items by about 50% & my quality of life would not be diminished)

Having always had my trash under the sink, I have to say I LOVE my pullout trash! I can just open it and sweep crumbs, scrape plates and toss recycling in its separate bin so easily. I was hesitant to use a cabinet as well, but now I can't see ever going back.

My deep sink doesn't allow much room underneath. I can't imagine what kind of dinky cans would go there. My jumbo dish soap from Costco fills up 1/2 the space (so it seems)!

And speaking of pairing down kitchen items, lots of things didn't go back into my remodeled kitchen. I decided they weren't new kitchen worthy ;)

There are just 2 of us in my home, with pets also and we also produce far more recycling (much from the daily newspaper) than garbage. I compost too. I have the Rev-a-shelf dual bin pullout under the sink in my 30" cabinet. I believe the bins are 35 quart each (or just about 9 gallon). One for garbage and one for recycling. We would just about fill the trash one in a week if I didn't empty it more often -- don't like empty food packages sitting there though, so it does get emptied into my outside can more often.

You could use any kind of container for storing your trash outside until collection day, like one of those "deck boxes". That would be easier to keep out of sight in an enclosure of some kind. Where do you keep your curbside recycling bins?

But, if you are determined to keep all of your trash indoors until pick up day, Maybe a trash compactor? Do they still make those?

Heidihausfrau - good to hear that you like your pullouts! Yeah, I know I'll be paring down stuff - but probably buying lots of new stuff, too. It'll just be too tempting with a shiny new kitchen!

raee - good to know that you get good sized bins under your sink! I don't really have room for a deck box - unless I rip up a garden bed, replace my compost bins or my tool storage bench... I live in a big city, so my garden is really, really small - I don't have a "yard" with garden beds. I have a small patio surrounded by garden beds.

My curbside recycling bin is my kitchen recycling bin - I bring it out to the sidewalk once a week, and then bring it back in once it's been emptied into the trash truck.

Trash, recycling, and a 2.5 gallon point of use water heater fit comfortably under our sink. Not sure how big the trash and recycling cans are, but I doubt they're 13 gallons. The recycling can seems small sometimes, but i wouldn't want the trash any bigger since it tends to start getting stinky by the time it's full anyways.

Thanks, GauchoGordo - I wonder if those are nine gallon cans - that's about as small as I think I can get away with, and I'd still put another bin of recycling in the garden mid-week.

They make some nice, smaller storage boxes for patios/decks. The link takes you to a nice, inexpensive one that is 18" tall, 18.75" wide and deep. 18 gallon capacity. It can double as a table. Surely you can fit something like this on your patio. It won't detract from the appearance of your space. And that little bit of extra storage will make a big difference for your overflow recycling storage. They come in different colors and a few different styles if this one doesn't fit the look of the other stuff on your patio.

Here is a link that might be useful: Table-sized outdoor storage box

Thanks, funkycamper. I guess the question I have to ask myself is:

Is it worth it to me to give up the cabinet space for an 18" pullout, if it means that I won't have to store (as much) trash outside between pickups?

It just might be - and I think that under the sink might be really good storage for cat food (and/or extra beer) which is currently stored in the (small, treacherous basement stairwell.

I wonder if there are ways you can overall reduce your trash production to make this less of an issue. Reusable grocery bags, refusing all receipts except for things you really might return, returning all your hunk mail to sender, switching from paper towels to cloth ones, etc. I am not sure what the bulk of what you are accumulating is.

Haha. I just noticed "hunk mail," but I am leaving it because it is funny. I personally wouldn't return my hunk mail to sender...

Anyone with surplus hunk mail can just forward it to me...

Hunk mail - that, I'd take. Or I'll split it with cearbhaill, 'cuz that's just the kind of gal I am.

You know, I already do use canvass shopping bags, rarely use paper towels (except to clean up cat vomit - but what else would I use for that?)

Some of the larger trash/recycling items are: cereal boxes, orange juice/milk cartons & bottles, catalogs (those, I could probably stop delivery on) weekly delivered local paper & coupons (I've tried so hard to get them to stop throwing those coupon circulars on my step!)

Then there's just other household stuff: empty tubes of toothpaste, mouthwash/shampoo bottles, yogurt containers. The wrappers that mushrooms come in. I don't think any of it is unusual, but it all ends up in the largest trash bins I have - which are in the kitchen.

I actually don't think I have that much trash - it's just that there's no where to put it. Does it sound like I'm creating lots and lots of trash?

When I do have Airbnb guests - there's their trash too - food stuff, their leftover takeout containers, receipts, tourist brochures.

Every week, here's what I put out for pickup, assuming I haven't had a party and nothing unusual is going on:

-One tall kitchen (13g) trash bag (generally 2/3 - 3/4 full)

-One tall, full (13g?) recycling bin (two if I've had a party or some other situation that creates extra recycling)

-One smallish bag of cat litter refuse from two cats (generally just put into the bigger trash bag.)

Does this sound like a lot of waste for one person?

"Does this sound like a lot of waste for one person?"

Ha Ha. No, not at all.

I'm a single person, 2 cat household 6 mos. out of the year. I use a plastic container kitty litter came in (13.5" tall, 8" wide) under my kitchen sink for kitchen trash. No pull out, fits perfectly between plumbing and door. Another one in the utility room downstairs used for litter refuse. Plastic grocery bags are an exact fit as liners for both. As needed, both bags go to the garage to the garbage can awaiting pickup day. Easy. Cheap. Still room under the sink for lot's of stuff including cat food.

I guess I just find myself wondering if you could create a cute "shed" or block in the garden for larger garbage/recycling containers that could wheel out for pick up.

It really seems like the larger problem is not having a place outside for trash between pick-up days.

llucy - I don't really know what "normal" is in terms of trash - I do know that most of my neighbors seem to put a lot more than I do out, but most of them are also not single people.

Steph - you know, I'd really have to dedicate garden space that I don't have much of. No room for a shed - but maybe room for something the size of a trash can. I can't really use anything that I'd have to wheel out - unless I dig out a big portion of the garden to put in a wheel friendly path instead of the stepping stones I now have.

I also really don't need anything nearly as large as those wheel out trash cans. Remember those "tall kitchen trash" bins people used to have before pullouts? They're the standard (well, they used to be standard) trash cans that fit 13 gallon bags (not contractor trash bags!) I can easily lift & carry those out.

Yes, having a place outside for trash would help - but the garden in total - including compost bins, tool storage bench & patio is about 500 sf. I'd rather give up kitchen space than garden space for trash. I was kind of hoping that I could fit decent sized trash bins under the sink - I don't know that I really can.

This post was edited by carrieb on Fri, Jan 16, 15 at 22:23

I was searching for the same thing that you are and I finally decided to get a 12" base trash pull out next to the sink and is that ever nice! It's handy and I don't have to move from the sink whenever the trash is accessed. I think I found the pull out at Menards and it wasn't terribly expensive.

I don't think anybody is accusing you of creating more trash than the average person. In fact, it sounds like you keep it quite low. However, you have been given some really good suggestions which, for the most part, you are ignoring.

The link I posted earlier today is to a cute, little table storage unit for patios/decks. It's 18" tall and 18" square. It could sit on your patio without looking ugly or taking up any space. If you have any seating on your patio, it could be an end table-type table.

If I did my math and conversions right, that's 5832 cubic inches of storage (or 21 gallons). I have to admit, the gallons seems a bit high but it's what the conversion tables says 5832 cu in would be. Whatever. The point is, from your description it sounds like that would give you the storage you need without taking up precious interior cabinet space.

Others also gave you some good ideas. You simply don't need an ugly regular garbage container uglying up your garden. Little storage tables like that come in many colors and finishes. I'm sure you could find something that would work for you and not detract from your garden.

Funkycamper,

That table/storage is a lot cuter than a standard garbage can. Seems like it would take up very little space outside the door too.

Funkycamper - I'm so sorry that it seems like I'm ignoring advice! I maybe have forgotten to respond to some of that advice, but I'm absolutely not ignoring any of it!

If I find an 18" square storage bin that I find attractive to go outdoors, and that I could fit a recycling bin inside for easy transfer to the sidewalk that would definitely help with the trash storage issue.

I have been taking all the advice in, evaluating it, and storing it for when I need it.

Is there any way you could get the dimensions of what your under sink space will be with plumbing installed? I think you would need to know that first in order to determine what size trash bins would fit.

It sounds like you want to keep the recycle bins you take to the curb inside the kitchen. Are you sure they would fit in an 18" pullout?

If you really don't want to store any trash outside, or in the basement between collection days, perhaps your KD could come up with a design that fits around the actual size of the recycle bins since you have to store those bins somewhere regardless.

llucy - good idea, about finding out plumbing & knowing how much room there will really be. I have no idea. Right now, I have a shallow sink, but I also have a disposal, so looking at my current setup isn't helpful. When the KD suggested under sink, and sent a link to a small capacity Rev-a_Shelf setup, I did respond saying that those bins were small, and asking if I could get decent sized ones under the sink. Maybe she'll know.

An 18" pullout, from what I can tell, can usually fit two 9 or 10 gallon bins. That will be fine for trash, I think. Recycling, like now, will have excess many weeks that would go outside or into the basement mid-week.

*expanded idea/musings*

One unintended consequence of opening up the garden views in the design, is that I'll be losing out-of-sight corners in the garden. I've posted an image, below, of my house, looking back toward the kitchen - and beyond that, the back yard. I'm planning on putting a big sliding glass door in the middle of that back wall. Right now, excess trash (as well as potting mix, extra mulch, pots, and misc other garden-related working materials) get stashed below the window, and to the left of the door, where it can't be seen from the house:

{{gwi:2137534}}

And here is what that area looks like right now (the ladder is supposed to live in the basement, but it never made it back down there the last time I used it...):

{{gwi:2137535}}

I currently have a storage bench along the back wall that holds my shovels, rakes, loppers and other garden tools that get left outside year round. Other tools like my big bucket, leaf blower, hoses, large planters, etc., are largely stored in the basement when not in use. I like the bench storage because it's useful, I find it attractive, it can be sat upon, and, when I have parties, I cover it with a tablecloth and it becomes the buffet table. the bench is along that back wall, opposite the house (the compost bin in the photo usually lives around the corner - which would be out of sight of the sliding door, near the outdoor seating area - I think it probably says all kinds of crazy things about me that I'd rather look at a compost bin that a trash can):

{{gwi:2137536}}

*so, this entire (monologue?) just made me realize that not only will I be losing out of the way corners to tuck excess trash, but out of the way corners for garden stuff that doesn't fit in the bench. I hate to give up the bench, but maybe I can find some kind of outdoor cabinet (bigger than a bench, smaller than a shed) (here I go, refuting my own refutation of above given advice...) that will be attractive and store more garden stuff in addition to excess waste. Whatever it is, it would likely go where the current bench is - in direct view of the sliding door - it means I'd lose the seating it now provides, as well as the "buffet table" function, but it might be worth it. My hangup right at the moment (yup, my hangups shift by the moment) is that - whatever it is - will be so visually prominent from the entire first floor.

So much to think about!

This post was edited by carrieb on Sat, Jan 17, 15 at 8:42

You all have made me realize that, truly, perhaps I should be considering something like this, after all - it could house trash AND garden stuff.

Here is a link that might be useful: Garden Cabinet

This post was edited by carrieb on Sat, Jan 17, 15 at 8:41

This one might be bigger than I need - it also might be just perfect!

Here is a link that might be useful: Another shed/cabinet

Those sheds are pretty cute - that would be a good solution. Could you put a shed against the blue fence to the side? Then it wouldn't be so visible from the house and you could keep your bench.

Atmoscat - You know what? That's exactly what my sister said, about the blue wall for the new shed. Though she thinks I should get rid of the bench and put in some pretty potted plants to enhance the view. That would mean going for a bigger shed, which I could do.

My sister also said that my yard is too small to have two separate storage containers, which I think is right. Putting in a shed against that blue wall means giving up the two small, square beds on then fence, but it's such dense shade over there that not much outside of hosta will grow there anyway, and, because it is off to the left, it's won't be so clearly visible from the house anyway.

This feels good - and I think it's the right decision all around.

So grateful for everyone's advice, even when it takes me a while to come around to agreeing with it!

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:2137532}}

Could you do some sort of vertical garden up your neighbor's wall? It would be nice to look out at something like this rather than that wall.

{{gwi:2137537}}

I think I'd have to put pretty sturdy anchors in my neighbor's house to secure anything to have a hanging garden, which I could do... the wall in your photo is gorgeous!

The vine I have growing up the wall (Parthenocissus henryana) is pretty when it's not winter dormant:

{{gwi:2137538}}

Perhaps a row of three big pots with tall evergreen shrubs could anchor that back wall through winter.

A garden shed is a good excuse for a new landscaping project. ; ) A mirrored "window" on the side of the shed with shutters...a window box full of trailing beauties...flower beds in front...maybe even a living roof with moss.

Could be fun as well as useful! : )

Laughable - you can see the mirror on the blue wall - if I can get it secure enough, I can attach it (or something like it) to the front door/doors of the micro-shed. Love it!

Just in case you still want to put a trash pull out below your sink, I just thought I let you know that we have no issues with having ours under the sink. I have a Rev-a-Shelf Rev-A-Motion™ Soft Open-Soft Close slide system which has gas spring that allows the unit to open smoothly and the Soft-Close shuts softly, even under the heaviest of loads.
My waste basket is a 35 qt. size. I could only use a single trash container system under my sink because I have a 10 inch deep divided sink with 2 drains and a garbage disposal so not much room. I actually had to cut about 1/2 inch off the top of the plastic waste basket because it was getting hung up on the bottom of the sink. Works great now.

Thanks, badgergal. Good to see that worked for you. I'm very much hoping I can get both trash & recycling under the sink - especially now that I've decided that two small bins will work for me.

How wide is your sink cabinet & how wide is your sink? Yours looks really nice!

I think my sink cab is about 31-33-ish with a kraus 10" deep sink. Here's what the rollout under sink looks like. We get a lot of junk mail eg, catalogs, etc and since we can mix our recycle products, I just slide them down the side of trash cans. It's just two of us and dog. Admittedly, we do have another trashcan in a different part of kitchen (poor feng shui) but it's use is really nominal. (I think it's there in hopes that my SO will trash things instead of leaving on island.)

A shed is a great idea. We struggle with the same issue of what to do about overflow. But my rear yard doesn't yet warrant others 'enjoying' the surroundings as yours does. ;). The posted wall photo looks like a bit of shady spot, yes? We may have to talk offline about the wall climber you've got there. Unfortunately,that project wont be on the horizon for a long while.

Cool, Mags. A horizontal pull out, with room for cleaning supplies in between. I hadn't thought of that. And it means that I wouldn't have to reach behind one trash receptacle to get to the second one.

Yes, the wall is fairly shady (the blue fence is dense shade, the neighbor's stucco wall is brighter shade.) The vine would probably do very well for you. Common name is Silver Vein Creeper, and it will climb up any wall or fence - related to our native Virginia creeper, but slightly less vigorous.

This post was edited by carrieb on Sun, Jan 18, 15 at 9:06

My cabinet is actually 37 inches wide, so quite a bit bigger than yours. The sink is listed as 33 inches wide. The interior width is 31 inches. The cabinet opening where the trash pullout is measures 17-3/4" wide.
Mags set up looks great but someone at the sink definitely has to move out of the way completely to access the trash. I frequently have my trash pullout open while I stand to the right of it using the sink.