Kitchen Garbage Cans

The purpose of this site is to help educate consumers about the various types and uses of trash cans. While this might not be the most exciting subject matter on the planet it’s still important to understand. Below you’ll find all of the relevant information you need to make an educated purchase. We’ve also included some tips and tricks to help make your life easier. We hope you enjoy the site and find the information we’ve laid out for you to be helpful.

Trash Cans

Unless you’re Oscar the Grouch from Sesame Street, you probably haven’t thought much about what makes a great trash can. Let’s face it; trash cans aren’t exactly the most important thing in your life. You dump things into them that you wouldn’t want to ever see again. So why should you care what kind of trash can you buy? I can think of a few good reasons.

They’re Expensive – It’s true. They might not be as expensive as buying a new car but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t think twice about what kind of trash can to buy. Would it make more sense to buy a trash can for $15 that lasts 1 year or a $60 can that lasts 6 years? The choice is obvious.
You Use them Every Day – Can you think of a single day of your life when you didn’t make use of a garbage can? I doubt that anyone could make this claim. If you end up with a can that’s poorly constructed or lacks functionality you could be dealing frustration every day of your life. Trust me, finding the right can for your needs really does make a huge difference.
You Need a lot of Them – Just think about how many different waste bins you have around your home. There’s probably one in almost every room along with a few outside. It’s easy to underestimate the importance of trash cans until you realize just how much you really use them.

What Makes a Good Trash Can

To the uninitiated it may be unclear what makes one trash can better than another. At first glance you would probably say that it doesn’t make much difference. A trash can is just a place to stuff all the smelly garbage you no longer have any use for. Any trash can aficionado would tend to disagree with this logic. Below you’ll find some of the things to look for when shopping for a new trash.

Materials – Popular materials include plastic, rubberized plastic, galvanized steel and even stainless steel. What your trash can is made out of will depend a lot on where you plan to use it. While stainless steel trash receptacles may look great inside, they won’t hold up well to the weather outdoors.
Lids – Trash can lids vary quite a bit. Some may be completely removable while others are hinged on the can itself. Some have features such as spinning tops to easily throw something away without having to open the lid manually. Others may even have tops which can open using a foot pedal for easy access.
Handles – Having handles will help you get a grip on your trash disposal duties. This is especially important for larger garbage cans you use outdoors. Smaller cans that are used indoors can be easily lifted without the use of handles. If you select a large outdoor garbage can without handles it may become a huge chore to move it out to the curb for pickup every week.
Wheels – What would we ever have done without the invention of the wheel? Wheels make the world go around and help save your back when it comes to moving your trash around. A large garbage can with wheels helps make short work of taking your garbage out for collection. Although these garbage cans typically cost more, they are well worth it.
Size & Shape – Of course trash cans come in a variety of shapes and sizes. This is important to consider. You should always take into account where you plan on storing your garbage cans. This will help you decide on what shape and size to purchase.

Types of Garbage Cans

There are many different types of garbage cans available. Below you’ll find some of the most common options available.

Kitchen Garbage Cans – Usually your kitchen garbage can will be the most used trash receptacle in your home. This means they are generally large and have features such as odor seals to help keep your kitchen smelling fresh.
Bathroom Garbage Cans – Usually a garbage can in a bathroom will be much smaller than one you’d find in a kitchen. You will want a can that can be easily hidden away in a cabinet under your bathroom sink or in the corner of the room.
Office Garbage Cans – These are generally more modern and stylish to match the décor of your office. Popular styles include stainless steel or wire mesh.
Mountable Garbage Cans – These cans can be mounted to your wall or behind a door for easy access.
Under-Counter – You can find single or multiple trash cans which can be mounted on rails inside cabinets that roll out for easy access. This is not only convenient but also gives you an easy way to separate your trash from your recyclables.
Garbage Can Cabinets – You can also find cabinets which house one or more garbage cans. This is perfect for hiding your trash cans and sorting your recyclables.
Outdoor Garbage Cans – These are usually the most rugged of all trash cans. They are made to withstand the elements. They must also deal with the abuse laid upon them by garbage men week after week.
Ash and Trash – Like the name implies, these garbage cans will have a built in ash tray on the top to collect cigarette butts. This is great for commercial properties as well as homes with smokers. They help prevent your outdoor spaces from being filled with cigarette butts.

As you can see there’s a different type of garbage can for almost every space in your home. This makes picking the right type of garbage can extremely important. You wouldn’t want to use a huge outdoor garbage can in your kitchen or a wire mesh garbage can outdoors where it is exposed to the elements.

The Future of Waste Bins

By far one of the coolest new features among trash cans is a lid that opens automatically. These cans are typically known as touch-free or touchless. They employ sophisticated infrared technology to sense when your hand or trash is close to the lid. When the sensor is triggered the lid will open automatically allowing you to throw your trash away. When the sensor no longer detects your hand or any trash near the lid it will close automatically.

Imagine the look on the faces of your family and friends when they see one of these trash cans in your home. They’ll think they just stepped on to the Starship Enterprise. Any tech geek or gadget nerd can surely appreciate this new high tech feature.

The only downside to this new technology is that your trash can must be plugged in. This means you will have to place it somewhere near an electric outlet. This severely limits where you can put it. You may end up being forced to place it near something you’d rather not such as your microwave or toaster. No one wants to smelly stinky trash while they’re trying to make a bagel in the morning.

Using Trash Bins around the Home

Unlike a full sized trash can, a trash bin is typically much smaller and can be used just about anywhere. They make a great addition to any room in your home or office. They have a number of benefits including the following:

Convenience – Having a trash bin in every room is extremely convenient. Do you really want to have to run all the way to your kitchen to throw something away? Of course you don’t. A small trash bin is perfect for collecting the small amounts of trash you may create in any given space. They’re also perfect for putting in every office or cubicle at work.
Organization – Believe it or not a trash bin can also help you stay organized. If you don’t have easy access to a bin your trash may pile up. This can lead to a lot of clutter and disorganization in your home or office. Organization helps maintain harmony and efficiency in any home or office.
Sanitation – Regularly collecting and removing your trash is extremely important for sanitation. Having trash sit around will not only smell bad, it will also invite all sorts of mold and bacteria into your living spaces. The convenience of trash bins will make it easy to collect your trash and dispose of it properly.

Trash bins are an inexpensive way to help maintain sanity when it comes to trash removal around your home or office. You can typically find them for just a few dollars each. Unlike larger trash cans you won’t need to worry about features much. All that really matters is the size of the can and whether or not it will work in the space you’d like to use it in.

Trash Bin Tips & Tricks

Below you’ll find some ways to make your use of trash bins even better.

Going Bagless – You might not even need to use a bag at all in the trash bins around your home or office. Typically, won’t be using them to throw away stinky or wet trash. This means you probably won’t need a bag. Simply empty your trash bin into a larger trash can once it becomes full.
Reusing Store Bags – If you’d prefer to use a bag for your trash bins you can easily reuse the paper and plastic bags you get from the store. This will save you money and is great for the environment. Most smaller cans will fit the large paper bags or standard plastic bags you get from most grocery and department stores perfectly.
Add a Dryer Sheet – Throwing a dryer sheet in the bottom of your trash bins is a great way to keep them smelling fresh. You can add a new dryer sheet about once a month to help absorb and cover odors.

Hopefully you can use these ideas and maybe even come up with some of your own to make your trash collection more tolerable.

All About Recycle Bins

Recycle bins are a necessity for every hippie tree hugger or resident of a city forced to recycle. Whether you recycle by choice or requirement you’ll need a recycle bin to help keep recyclables out of your trash. Depending on your own personal requirements you may need one or more recycle bins to help sort your trash. Below you’ll find some ideas you can use when shopping for a new recycle bin.

Stackable – If you require more than one recycle bin to sort your recyclables stackable bins make a great choice. You can find single bins that allow you to stack as many different bins as you need or premade sets of 2 or more bins. This is a great way to save space.
Color Coded – Sorting your recyclables is a breeze when your bins are color coded. This is a great idea when you use more than one bin.
Deskside Recycling Bins – Having recycling bins placed around your home is a great way to collect all your recyclables. Making recycling convenient is a good way to ensure that it will actually be done.
Touchless Recycle Centers – You can also find recycle centers with the same great touchless technology that trash cans have. Sensors open the lid of your recycle center automatically allowing you easy access even if your hands are full.

Why Recycling is Important

Saves the Earth – Recycling helps save the earth by reducing the amount of trash that enters the environment.
Saves Energy – It takes less energy to recycle than to create products using new materials.
Saves Money – You can even sell your recyclable materials to places that buy them. This is especially true of aluminum like you find in soda cans.

Conclusion

If you’ve made it this far then there’s no doubt you’ve become a true master of all things trash related. By now you should have a clear understanding of why trash cans are so important. With this knowledge you can set forth on your journey of ultimate trash can discovery. We wish you the best of luck in your garbage can endeavors.

Picking the Right Bear Proof Garbage Cans for Dummies

Are bears running amok in your neighborhood? Are you sick of having your garbage ripped to shreds by these pesky invaders? Too scared to confront them and ask them nicely to stop? Well then it sounds like you need a bear proof trash can.

Hopefully by now you’ve realized that the main purpose of bear proof garbage cans is to keep bears out of your garbage. If not, you might want to just give up on life, there’s really nothing left to live for. If so, you can go ahead and continue reading to find out what makes a great bear proof trash receptacle (and have a few laughs at the expense of your homely trash collector).

#1: Structural Support

With the average black bear weighing up to 350 pounds, it’s important for bear proof garbage cans to have added structural support. A hungry bear will have no problem bellying up to an average can and crushing it like a sumo wrestler. Bears make short work of inferior trash receptacles including most garbage cans provided by waste disposal companies.

Unless you want your trash strewn across your lawn like it’s been through a wood chipper you’ll need a strong trash can. Anyone who’s ever had to clean up a stinky, disgusting mess on a Sunday morning will tell you that having a bear proof garbage can is well worth it.

#2: Locking Lid

This one is somewhat of a no-brainer. Of course you’re going to want to have a lid that locks. If not a bear is just going to open your can up and help himself to all the coffee grounds, banana peels and used underwear you just threw away.

The biggest problem is that you want a mechanism that locks but isn’t very difficult to open. Let’s face it, trash men don’t have the highest IQs. If they can’t figure out how to get the trash out you’re going to be stuck with it. If it’s too easy to open a bear will just tear it apart. It’s definitely a fine balance to achieve.

#3: Size Matters

I don’t care what your wife told you. Size does matter. The problem with most bear proof trash cans is that they’re the size of an armored tank. You’re going to want to find a can that’s big enough to satisfy your needs while still fitting comfortably (You can ask your wife about this one, she’ll know exactly what I mean).

Fortunately, there are some manufacturers that offer cans in various sizes. 32 and 64 gallon sizes are typically enough for anyone. Larger cans are also available but can be a real bear to move around (You think you could come up with a better pun?)

#4: Compatibility

I’m not talking about whether or not your garbage bags are compatible with the can. What I really mean here is whether or not your current hauler is going to be OK with your new can. Some haulers require a can with a special lip on the front that helps their equipment dump the can into the truck. Before you make a purchase it’s important to verify whether or not your new garbage can is going to work with your current hauler or not.

Metal Garbage Cans are the Worst

So you’re thinking about buying a metal garbage can but figured you’d rather have an expert opinion before buying one. While I may not be an expert I probably am much smarter than you. Even if I’m not I’ve probably given metal garbage cans much more thought than you have. I mean I did write a whole article about them? Didn’t I? I’m pretty sure I did. If not, then what exactly are you reading? It’s anybody’s guess.

Advantages of Metal Garbage Cans

While there aren’t many real advantages to metal trash cans, it is possible that some people prefer them. I mean people still buy them, right? Someone must. I always see them in the store. Not all of these reasons are very realistic but I never claimed I was actually going to try to convince you to buy a metal trash can.

They are Inexpensive – Compared to other garbage cans, galvanized steel metal garbage cans are relatively inexpensive.
They Provide a Classic Look – If you love a vintage or nostalgic feel then metal trash cans might be right up your alley (pun intended). Metal trash cans have been a classic staple for years and will be around for many more years to come.
You Can Make a lot of Noise – If you hate your neighbors and want to wake them up in the middle of the night nothing works better than slamming a few metal trash can lids together. If you don’t mind a few noise complaints you can exact your revenge with ease.
Approved by Oscar the Grouch – Oscar the Grouch wouldn’t be caught dead in some new age hippy recycled plastic garbage can. If you want to look tough nothing says badass more than a half dozen dented metal garbage cans.

Disadvantages of Metal Trash Cans

You’ve finally made it to the real meat of the article. This is the part where I tell you how awful metal trash cans are and how you shouldn’t buy them. Not really, but seriously, if you’re considering buying one you should really check out these disadvantages first.

They Can Rust – Over time metal trash cans will begin to rust. This process is inevitable and there really isn’t any cost effective way to prevent it from happening. Many times the bottom of a metal garbage can will be the first place to rust out. Moisture tends to collect at the bottom which accelerates the rusting. Eventually the bottom will fall out complete rendering your garbage can useless.
They Can Dent – Imagine accidentally backing in to your garbage cans with your car. If you hit them hard enough not only will they dent and deform, but they can also damage your car more than a rubberized plastic trash can might. While you may be able to pound out the dents metal can typically won’t bounce back in to shape like a rubber garbage can would.
Dented / Deformed Lids – Once the lids get dented, deformed or start to rust they won’t fit on your metal trash cans as well as they used to. Over time they might not fit back on at all. This could allow additional moisture into the can which will only aid in rusting.
Only Come in One Color / Style – I’m sure we’re all familiar with how most metal garbage cans look. They’re boring silver cylinders with a handle on each side along with a round lid. You usually can’t find them in any other style of color. This means you won’t be able to pick out a metal garbage can to match your own personal style and preference.
No Wheels – Most metal trash cans have no wheels. This makes them much more difficult to move around. Every time you want to move your trash you will have to break your back lugging them around.

Conclusion

I think it’s pretty obvious that only cheap bastards and degenerates with inferiority complexes will be interested in metal garbage cans. You can get a nice plastic trash can for about the same price that won’t rust or crumple up like tin foil when you accidentally bump in to it after a night of heavy drinking. If you’re still interested in a metal garbage can then I guess I’ve wasted both of our time. Enjoy your metal can you sorry SOB.

Top 5 Things to Look for in Kitchen Garbage Cans

Picking out the perfect kitchen garbage can is more complicated than you might think. There are a number of things to consider before pulling the trigger. Today we aim to show you the top 5 things to consider before purchasing a trash can for your kitchen. Read on to become fully enlightened in the ways of kitchen trash cannery.

#1: A Good Seal

Odds are you’ll be throwing away the smelliest stuff in the kitchen. Food scraps, leftovers and even pet waste can easily make their way in to a kitchen trash can. Keeping all of those odors at bay is extremely important. Kitchen garbage cans with a good odor seal are worth their weight in gold.

Things you throw away can easily start to smell after just a few short hours. Bacteria, mold and other nasty things will start to grow on your trash immediately. These all emit pungent odors which can ruin any family gathering in the hub of your home. While using a spray like Lysol is great for keeping odors down, it’s best to keep them sealed away with a quality garbage can.

#2: Easy Access

Easy access is also extremely important in the kitchen. Imagine this scenario. You just cut up a bunch of raw chicken and your hands are covered with the chicken juices. You want to throw away the scraps but you can’t get into your kitchen trash can without touching the lid. Do you really want to leave harmful bacteria all over the lid that everyone touches?

Kitchen garbage cans with a foot pedal that open the lid automatically are extremely convenient. If you enjoy living in the lap of luxury you can also purchase trash cans for your kitchen that have sensors which will open the lid for you automatically. Even less expensive options such as a spinning-top or drop-down lid will help provide easy access for throwing things away.

#3: Holds the Bag in Place Properly

Have you ever tried throwing something away in your kitchen garbage can just to have the bag fall in to the can? Anyone who has experienced this can tell you how extremely annoying it can be. The stuff you throw away in the kitchen tends to be heavier than other rooms. While you might throw away meat scraps or leftovers in the kitchen you probably only throw away paper and wrappers in other rooms.

Finding kitchen trash cans that hold the bag in place properly can make your life a lot easier. Some may have metal bars which clamp over the bag. Others may have lids which sandwich the bag in place until it’s ready for removal. Either way it’s important to find a can which isn’t going to drop the ball when it comes to holding your trash bags.

#4: Style to Match Your Décor

It’s important that your kitchen garbage can has great form to match its great functionality. Finding a trash can that matches your kitchen’s décor is another piece of the puzzle. You’ll want a trash can that exudes character while seamlessly blending in to the environment.

If your home has a modern feel then a stainless steel kitchen trash can might fit in perfectly. If your home has more of a rustic look you may want to search for a wooden trash can or trash cabinet. If you have more of a commercial kitchen then a wire mesh trash can might look great. What type of garbage can you pick for your kitchen depends a lot on your own personal taste.

#5: Size and Shape

Nothing is more frustrating than finding the perfect trash can for your kitchen only to discover that it doesn’t fit where you want it to. This is especially important if you live in a tight space such as an apartment or want to keep your trash can in the cabinet under the sink. No matter how good a trash can might be, if it doesn’t fit in your space it’s only going to cause problems.

The height and shape of the can matters a lot too. A rectangular trash can will typically save more space and fit in better than a round can. You might even opt for a corner shaped can if that’s where your trash can typically resides. It’s important to take measurements of the space you plan on placing your can before making a purchase.

Conclusion

Picking out a trash can for your kitchen isn’t rocket science. Anyone with half a brain can use the slightest bit of common sense as a guide. All you really need is a trash can that looks great, holds the bag well and conceals odors. Everything else can be left to your own personal preferences and intuition.