Anyone with larger family (5+) keep trash can under their sink?

[ksr5377]

And if so, how many times a day are you taking it out?  I would love to not have this ugly giant trashcan in our kitchen.  I hate open trashcans, but it seems like we keep breaking the lids.  I know of many families that keep in under their kitchen sink instead.  I love that it would be out of the way, but I wonder about the logistics of having to open a cupboard door to throw things away - PLUS how much smaller the can would be.  Kind of a silly topic I know but I thought I would ask before I went out and bought a new can to try it.  I'm thinking I would like the ones that roll out the best.

[Mrs Mungo]

We have 5.

 

I have a stainless steel trash can with a lid. The trash goes out once a day. I hate the trash under the sink, but also hate giant trash cans, so this is a compromise solution.

 

Mine is similar to this one:

http://m.target.com/MCustomReview?partNum=11063317

[Cinder]

Family of 5 here. We used to keep our trash bin under the sink; I prefer it there rather than out in public. But after years of doing this we decided to move it out and get one with a lid. Recently, with our dc getting older, there was often more than one person doing something in the kitchen and needing to use the trash bin. Having it under the sink became inconvenient for anyone using the sink and for the person trying to throw something away. Our under the sink bin was 23qt, plain and unlidded. And cheap! When we decided to move it out we got this one. I wanted a bin with a lid that would look nice and be easy to use. I really like it--it's sturdy and we quickly adjusted to having to open the lid to toss something in. The lid closes quietly--it doesn't just drop shut--and you can also prop it open when you need to.

 

With both bins we normally only took/take out trash once per day. We don't empty bathroom trash bins into the main bin; those get their own (recycled grocery store) bags.

 

At first I was reluctant to spend that much on a trash bin but it has been worth it--to me.

[Momof3littles]

We are a family of 5.  I keep ours in a pull out next to the sink cabinet.  We have two bins on one of those pull out contraptions.  One for recycling, one for trash.  I do usually empty more than once a day. 

[Ali in OR]

We're a family of 5 with a smallish can under the sink and I empty it less than once a day. Maybe once every other day? 3 times per week? But anything that can be recycled goes somewhere else. Our can for taking recycling to the curb is much bigger than our can for taking trash to the curb. Both are right inside the garage, just down the hall from the kitchen. So all cardboard boxes get flattened and put in the garage recycling container. All cans. All milk jugs, yogurt containers, etc. Much more gets recycled than trashed.

[stripe]

I have a trash can under my sink. I don't take it out more than once a day, but I keep recycling separate and take out any giant items separately.

[Hypatia.]

No, under the sink is already full plus we need a larger trash can than would fit.  I hate having it out, but it's the best option we have right now.

[Murphy101]

Yes. About once a day. However, big items are taken straight to the garage trash instead so we don't gave to empty it as often.

[regentrude]

We are only a family of four, but we keep the trash under the sink, and it only needs to be emptied every few days. 

We generate very little trash, because we recycle everything we can, compost everything compostable, and try to avoid packaging waste wherever possible.

Is there a way you can cut down on trash so it's not so much of an issue?

[Veritaserum]

Growing up, my family of 8 kept a can under the sink. It was emptied 1-2 times per day. In our last two homes, I installed a pull out trash drawer (converted a cupboard for this purpose). We have two cans in the drawer: one for garbage and one for recycling. The garbage goes out once a day. The recycling goes out once every 1-2 days. We have 8 people.

 

I chose the largest of these that would fit in the cupboard available: http://www.lowes.com/Storage-Organization/Kitchen-Organization/Pull-Out-Trash-Cans/_/N-1z0ydnu/pl#!

[Luckymama]

Trash under the sink. When all 5 of us are here, it gets emptied 1-2 times a week. Our town/city has curbside, single-stream (no sorting) recycling pickup every week. We can recycle everything except plastics #3 and #6. And we compost as well,

 

I hate a visible trash can in the kitchen!

[MicheleinMN]

We have a 13 gallon trash can under the kitchen sink on one side and another on the other side for recycling (cans and plastic).  Glass recycling gets set between the 2 trash cans and taken out when I complain.  We have assigned chores at our house.  The chores are for a year.  Youngest ds has trash/recycling and feeding the dogs.  He probably takes the trash and recycling down once a day.  We've gone from a family of 8 down to a family of 6, but I haven't noticed much trash reduction yet.  I should probably take the job myself as I could stand to go up and down the stairs in our garage a few more times a day. ;)

[AmyontheFarm]

Ours is under the sink.  It gets emptied once or twice a day.

[cjzimmer1]

We don't like sitting at the counter so on that side we have a wooden garbage can holder.  Actually it's a double, each side hold the 13 gallon can, one side is recyclables the other is garbage.  It actually looks like a built in cabinet on that side so it's looks nice but holds quite a bit (and keeps the smell down, toddlers out etc).  But even so the garbage is emptied at least every other day.  Between diapers and veggie/fruit remnants, I like to keep it taken out frequently, if it's not full we just empty the smaller ones throughout the house into it until it is full.

[unsinkable]

I know someone who does not use a trashcan but keeps a plastic grocery bag in the sink for garbage. When the bag gets full, which happens a few times a day, she ties it up with the handles and takes it out to the trashcan in the garage.

 

I was like huh? the first time I asked where the garbage was and she pointed to the sink.

[Aspasia]

MIL has 8 kids and always kept her trash under the sink when we were growing up (dh and I grew up together--awwww). She didn't even have a trash can. She used a paper grocery bag, and emptied it at least daily. In her new house, she has the slide-out deal. Even that she lines with grocery bags. This is very classy lady with a good amount of money, but she is super duper cheap. :)

[KungFuPanda]

I have two trash cans out in my kitchen; one for garbage and one for recycling. I take it out when it gets full. Sometimes it takes a few days. It's not usually smelly since I have a disposer and a compost pile. I can't have the can in my work triangle because people would get in my way. A friend of mine has a trash compactor under her sink. She just pushes a button when her trash gets full.

[Susan in TN]

When we bought this house 5 years ago, I "invested" in a ridiculously expensive trash can for the kitchen. I think it was $90. It is brushed stainless, half round 50-liter, with a foot-pedal opening mechanism. It sits under the end of our peninsula counter and we empty it about once a day. I'm a little embarrassed at how much I really like it.

[LisaKinVA]

I have 2 cans under my sink. A small bathroom type can for organic waste, and a larger can for things that can't be categorized for recycling. I also have 2 larger cans that are for different recyclables in the kitchen. Organic waste goes out daily, the other can under the sink goes out weekly, and the recyclables about once a day. We are required to drink bottled water here...drives me nutty with all of the waste we generate because of that.

[Meadowlark]

Ha, this made me chuckle. When we moved to our current house, we took one look at the trash can and said "uh, no way" will this work for us (family of 7 here). We ended up getting one of those Amish made wooden ones. We sometimes think about that itty bitty trash can and smile.

[Ivey]

We keep both our trash can and recycling bin under the sink. The trash goes out once a day and the recycling about twice a week. 

[Erica in OR]

Five kids, 2 adults here, with a trash can under the sink. We have it on a metal pull-out shelf thing, so you don't have to try to ease the stuff under the lip of the cabinet. Recycling is in the garage and we try to compost peelings and such. It probably goes out every couple of days. We try to throw the really big stuff straight into the roll bin the goes to the curb once a week.

 

Erica in OR

[LaxMom]

When we bought this house 5 years ago, I "invested" in a ridiculously expensive trash can for the kitchen. I think it was $90. It is brushed stainless, half round 50-liter, with a foot-pedal opening mechanism. It sits under the end of our peninsula counter and we empty it about once a day. I'm a little embarrassed at how much I really like it.

I feel your pain. I bought an iTouchless a few years ago and it just tickles me to death.

 

We have 5 and usually have one (regular 13 gal) bag per week. Sometimes if I'm on a cleaning bender, two. We schlep recycling to the community bins at the shopping center. (We keep our recycling bins on the porch and throw them in the car once every couple of weeks.)

 

Where are you all getting all the trash? 

[RebeccaS]

Family of 7 here.  We keep the trash in a slide out deal in a cabinet.  It gets emptied every other day or so and I like it much better than the big can we used to have in the kitchen because being smaller means the kids can take over emptying it.  :)  We recycle, so none of that is taking up space in the trash can and once I set up our compost there will be even less to deal with.  

[Susan in TN]

Where are you all getting all the trash?

We don't do much recycling and we use paper products on a fairly regular basis (paper plates, napkins, paper towels).

[melmichigan]

I from a family of seven and we are a family of seven now.  We had a separate trash with a lid when we were young, we have a stainless steel one with a lid now.  They have always been taken out once a day.  I would love one like Veritaserum has, but we don't have enough cabinet space, maybe some day. 

[Tap]

We have 5 people in our house and an under the kitchen sink can.  We have about 3 to 4 bags of garbage from the entire house once a week. Our bags go out every other day due to meat wrappers if they are full or not.  I usually cruise the house to look for bathroom or bedroom trash to fill a bag if I need to.  

 

We live in a area known for heavy and easy recycling though.  Out side the garage door we have a huge recycle bucket that all recyclables (except glass/batteries/light bulbs/motor oil /Styrofoam etc that have special handling conditions but can still go curbside) goes into.  We rinse the food off of containers but don't peel labels.  Almost all paper and cardboard is just tossed in (except metallic). Plastic tubs, juice boxes, foil....all goes in.  No sorting, just one big bin. They provide nice colorful posters for the garage to consumers to pin up so they can double check the few questions that come up.  Easy!  It goes out once a week on the same day as the trash and is free (paid with the garbage bill whether you recycle or not).  They also coordinate with the yard service, so every thing goes on the same day each week, so you don't have too many days to keep track of. 

 

Even the kids bedrooms have both a recycle garbage can and a trash can. 

 

They don't fine you if you mess up, you just get a sticky note on your can to remind you to not put xyz in next time.  They want people to recyle here and sort out the contents at the recycling center to make sure the right stuff gets recycled.  

 

[texasmama]

I keep our trash can in the pantry.

[katilac]

We're only a family of 4, and we have both compost and recycle bins, but I would never survive with that small of a trash can. I would find it inordinately annoying to empty it every day. 

 

Of course, I wouldn't like an open trash can in the middle of the kitchen, either, or a visible trash can at all. Apparently I'm picky about this  :laugh:

 

We have, and will always have, a trash compactor. Is that a possibility for you? They aren't cheap, but they last a long time. Do you have any cabinet space to spare? 

 

Trash compactor and dishwasher - two items that keep my life from descending into chaos!

[Rebel Yell]

there are 5 of us- 2 parents, and girls ages 19, 14, & 12.

 

I have a "white kitchen trash bag" sized can with no lid right next to my counter. It's ugly, but here is the reason I can't have one under the sink: NOBODY HAS GOOD ENOUGH AIM and the very last thing in the world that I want to do is scrape garbage off the floor inside the kitchen sink. :ack2:

 

And we don't have a lid because it just gets nasty. I am NOT into washing trash can lids all day long, nor do I want to sing the "Wash the effing trash can lid" song all dang day long. :glare:

[solascriptura]

About 4 times a week. We are careful to recycle. Ours isn't covered either because the dirty lids harbor germs and smells.

[TammyinTN]

There are 5 of us...27, 2, 16, and dh and myself.  We have a tall 13 gallon trashcan with a  lid.  We empty it daily after dinner and I bleach the lid twice a week. 

[solascriptura]

There are 5 of us...27, 2, 16, and dh and myself. We have a tall 13 gallon trashcan with a lid. We empty it daily after dinner and I bleach the lid twice a week.

That's way too much cleaning for me. :)

[skimomma]

We are only a family of three but I do have our small trash pail under the sink.  We recycle and compost as well as buy things with as little packaging as possible.  I empty the kitchen pail about once every two weeks.  That is about the same for the recycling pails (also under the sink).  Compost goes out daily, sometimes twice.  I cannot imagine having to take out trash every day or even more!  Our garbage truck comes very early in the morning so one of us has to set an alarm to get it out on time.  This might be our biggest trash-reduction motivation:)  It takes us about 6 weeks to fill a garbage bag for the truck.  It would be even longer if we did not have cats (and litter).  And I really cannot deal with a garbage pail within sight.  Under the sink is mandatory for me.