26 March 2020

How to Maximise your Bin Space

Read Time: 4 mins

Bin space. All of us need it yet none of us have enough of it. Whether it’s down to industrial action from refuse collection services, missed collection days due to bank holidays or an increase in the volume of waste being produced, learning how to maximise the space in your rubbish bins is a life hack which most of us would be grateful to learn.

So here are some tips for making the most of your bin space:

Recycle your Rubbish

The first tip is a straightforward one, but one which can have an enormous impact on your space for waste. It’s safe to say that the majority of households have access to recycling facilities, whether individual or communal. However, the latest government figures reveal that in 2018, the UK’s Waste from Households recycling rate was only 45.0%, which was a drop from 45.5% in 2017.

Now, there are a whole host of reasons why households may not recycle. For some, there is simply a lack of time due to the busy lives we all lead. Others lack the amount of space that is needed to accommodate a range of five (or sometimes more) rubbish receptacles. For others, it’s a lack of faith in the recycling system, with underlying suspicions that it all ends up on the same pile regardless.

However, the benefits of recycling have been widely discussed. Recycling methods and capabilities are constantly evolving so there are bound to be items which you weren’t aware could be recycled. But by separating all of the recycling into their respective containers, the amount of room created in your wheelie bin should be self-evident. In short, it’s time to recycle.

plastic waste

Reducing your Rubbish

Have you ever had to sit on your suitcase to squeeze it shut before going on holiday? Then no doubt you’ll remember how important packing can be. Your waste bin or your recycling bin is no different. Think of all those items that can be crushed before being binned: boxes can be broken down and flattened, cans can be crushed or bottles and jars can be slid inside each other. Before you know it, you’ll have plenty more bin space to play with. And your holiday packing will be a doddle.

 

The Bottom of the Bin

It seemingly makes sense to have the heaviest items on the top of the heap to help weigh down the rest of the detritus. In practice though, this rarely works out and there ends up being unutilised space left underneath and out of sight.

To get around this, place the heaviest items at the bottom of the bin where possible, then slide the smaller items into the spaces around it to make the most of the room you’ve got to work with. Think of filling the bin like a tactile game of Tetris and you’ll be piling it up like a professional in no time.

Don’t Overfill Your Bin

Filling your bin is a difficult balance, to be sure. On one hand, you want to make the most out of the bin space on offer. On the other, you’ve got to make sure that the bin itself is still manageable. In the worst-case scenarios, overfilling kitchen bins could lead to splitting bin bags with your feet and the floor being covered in bin juice. An overfilled wheelie bin could result in the refuse collectors simply refusing to collect it.

That kind of situation simply leads to a vicious cycle but is also easily avoidable. To be safe, make sure that you can close your bin lid. Check that your bin bags are heavy-duty and finally, that you position your bins together as closely as possible before you begin transferring your waste.

fast food waste

If after all of this, you still find yourself running out of bin space, then Clearabee’s rubbish clearance service is here for you. Ours is the nation’s largest ‘man and van’ operation and is the most reviewed on Trustpilot so you can be sure of our services.

If, even after making the most of your bin space, you feel that you might need more space for sorting your rubbish, then our skip hire and Skip Bag services could be right up your street, literally, with our fast and flexible service.

Removing Rubbish. It’s what we do.

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