It seems there are still a few councils or local authorities that have suspended recycling pickup services as a result of COVID 19. It is perhaps one of the unforeseen impacts. Some recommend you should throw your recyclables into your landfill bin until services resume. Instead, why not set up your recycling bins at home so you can keep collecting during this time.
So why are our recycling collections interrupted? In some recycling facilities, it isn’t easy to practice social distancing. This is especially the case in those facilities with a high number of manual laborers who work closely together. More automated facilities might be less affected.
There are also some concerns about the virus being contracted by workers who handle the recyclables closely. We want everyone to be safe, so here are a few ideas of what you can do if your recycling is suspended.
If your curbside services are not interrupted, then you might like to take on a new project with more time at home. Or you may want to like to set up recycling bins for the recyclables that need to go to specialist recyclers.
You can set up a recycling station for items that go to a specialist recycler, such as soft plastics, batteries, light bulbs, small e-waste items, polystyrene, or pens.
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Design considerations of your Recycling bins
What to collect in your recycling bins
The first step is to work out what materials you will be collecting. An excellent place to start is with your curbside recycling. Check what your local council or local authority collects in your recycling bin. Most local authorities will have a list of what they collect on their website.
Most curbside pickup services will collect the following recyclables:
- Paper and cardboard
- Plastics – rigid plastics only
- Glass – bottles and jars
- Metals – cans and aluminium foil
These four groups of materials would be a good place to start, particularly if your services have been suspended during COVID 19.
If you still have your recyclables collected through a curbside pickup, you might not need to separate these into four separate bins. Be sure to check the rules for your local area.
How much space do you need
Consider how long you might need to collect your recyclables and how much. A good way to get an idea is to consider how much recycling you put into your curbside pick-up every week.
Do you usually fill your recycling bin weekly or fortnightly? If it is fortnightly and with all four types of materials, then you could assume you collect one-quarter of that volume for each material. Multiply that by the number of weeks or fortnights you might need to collect your recycling. That should give you an idea of how much space you might need.
Mind you, we don’t want you filling your entire house with recycling. Don’t feel guilty if you need to throw some recycling into the landfill bin. These are unprecedented times.
Where will you keep your recycling bins
Also, consider the location of the recyclables. If you think you need to collect them for a while, it is best to store them away from the kitchen.
You can keep smaller containers in the kitchen that can be emptied into the larger ones in your garage or on the patio. Recycling is always easier when you have ready access to a place to put the recyclable. You can also add small bins to the bathroom and laundry or the home office. Our whole house is the home office with us all working from home, but maybe you are lucky to have a separate office set up.
Ideas for setting up your recycling bins
Find the right containers
First, check to see if you have something around the house that you could use. Some large cardboard boxes would be good, or maybe some large plastic tubs or metal tubs. You might even use heavy-duty bags, laundry baskets, or timber crates.
If you find four boxes, that is perfect, one for glass, paper, metal, and plastic. However, if you only found a couple of boxes, then you could mix the plastic and metal.
If you don’t have anything around the house that is suitable, there are two other options. You could take on a DIY project to make your own recycling bins. This might be a great project while you are stuck at home during the Covid 19 shutdowns. Below are our favorite project ideas.
Or if you are too busy homeschooling your kids and working from home, why not buy some bins and help keep some businesses going. We provide some examples below but don’t be afraid to be creative; there are many options.
Some great DIY project ideas
If you are handy with the tools, why not try this Recycling Sorter project by Sawdust Girl. This is a neat setup and could be painted to look even better.
We also like this Recycling Sorting Bin by BuildSomething.
Why not recycle something when building your recycling bins. I love this option by Projectphile, where they repurpose an old cabinet into a recycling station. Great detailed instructions too.
If you can’t make it then buy it
Maybe you don’t have as much time as you hoped, perhaps because you are taking care of the kids while they’re home. Or perhaps you’re not so good at carpentry like myself. Below are some options you can get delivered to help get things set up quickly.
Here’s a smaller project you can do to organize your recycling bins, so they do not clutter the floor so much.
How to make recycle bin hangers
You could use these stackable bins for the project above or just stack them. They could go in the laundry or the garage, and there are different size options too.
These Suncast 18 Gallon stacking recycling bins come in a four-pack which is enough to get you started.
Or if you prefer something with a homey look, then this Country Cottage Wood Trash Can be of interest. You could place 2 or 3 of them up against each other for the different materials.
Country Cottage Wood Trash Can 13 Gallon Outdoor/Indoor
Or try these Brabantia Sort & Go bins, also available in Australia. You could even buy laundry hampers, baskets, or simply buy some plastic tubs.
Labelling your bins
It’s important to label the bins, especially so the other members of your family or friends (when they can visit in the future) will not get confused. If you have gone to the trouble of building your own DIY bins, you definitely want to finish them off with great labels.
Here are some Free Recycling Bin Labels for your bins that you can print. If your containers are outside and you have access to a laminating machine, it would be a good idea to protect them from the elements.
Tips on how to collect your recycling
Recycling and other trash can tend to attract pests. So you must make sure they are clean and dry if you are storing recyclables for a bit longer than usual.
- Clean – Take a bit more time to wash out your recyclables. We don’t want to be using a whole lot more water so it’s a good idea to wash containers in the dishwasher along with your dishes.
- Dry – Make sure the recyclables dry properly before you place them into your recycling collection. This might mean leaving them on the kitchen sink to dry.
Learn about what you can and can’t recycle
With everyone homebound worldwide due to COVID 19, you might have a bit more time on your hands. Why not use this time to learn a bit more about the recycling rules? Here are some of our favorite posts to start you off:
