3 clever tricks to make more space in your recycling bin

Cleaning and storage experts have revealed the best ways to get the most out of your recycling boxes – and you need to listen if you consistently find yourself running out of space when filling the boxes.

Recycling is an important household chore, so we’re always looking for clever kitchen bin ideas to maximise space (and beauty) in our kitchens. But now it is time to turn our attention to the contents of our recycling bins.

You may be the sort to do no more than separate the recycling into the right box ( I’m one of those) – but cleaning and organising experts say these are the 3 things you should be doing to get the most out of your space.

1. Use hanging bags and dividers

One of the easiest ways to maximise your recycling box storage space is to create extra levels and dividers for your box. You can do this by adding hanging bags to the side of your box and directly placing dividers inside the box.

‘Instead of putting all the recyclables directly in the box, use hanging mesh bags for storing flat items like plastic sheets and cardboard. Hanging these bags on the sides of the recycling bin will help segregate items and will save great space in the bin to add other, bulkier items,’ explains Maria Anderson, cleaning and organising expert at Henfield Storage.

‘Adding adjustable vertical dividers in the recycling bin can help in keeping different items sorted, maximise space, and compress them- just as file organisers work for papers. This works great when you don’t wish to add more bins or bags for recycling.’

2. Flatten everything

This may sound obvious, but you really should take the time to crush and flatten all your recycling. It’s simple – the smaller your recyclables are, the more you will fit in the box. Considering there are plenty of household items you may not know you can recycle, you’ll need all the space you can as items start stacking up.

‘By flattening and folding boxes, from Amazon boxes to cereal packets, you create more space to stack your items. Same with glass items too,’ explains Nikki Rodriguez, also known as @essexhousedolly.

‘Always condense your packaging – by flattening and folding any shape of boxes, shredding paperwork and also investing in suitable recycling storage. Also, stack glass items rather than just throw in.’

3. Use nested bins

Nested bins are a great way to get the most out of your kitchen storage ideas, or wherever you keep your recycling. While not creating more space inside the box, they will give you more space in a room – meaning you can store more recycling if need be.

‘These smaller bins help in categorizing items when placed for recycling and make the complete process manageable,’ says Maria.

So, when it comes to taking your recycling out on bin day, you’ll find it easier to sort your recycling, giving you more time to ensure it is all compressed.

These handy tips will make your recycling process a whole lot easier – are there any you don’t use?