Learn how to create a DIY pull out trash can when you can’t find a standard one in stores to hide those ugly bins from sight!
I’ve always wanted to hide our ugly trash cans by making a double trash recycling bin with the bins attached to the cabinet doors! My biggest pet peeve about our house after we settled in was that the trash and recycle bin were always in view. It wasn’t great having the trash and recycle bins in view as the first thing you see when coming into the kitchen. In addition to that, the trash and recycle bins were up against a wall, which meant that my white walls would serve as a splash wall! Yuck!
What I really wanted was a hidden, in-cabinet pull out trash and recycling bin. I went to look at Ikea’s pull out garbage cabinet to make the project a little easier, but the bin didn’t fit our space. We had a small space that I think was meant for cookie sheets and cutting boards that was really narrow, but a standard pull out garbage can from Ikea, Lowe’s and Home Depot was not going to fit the bill.
I gathered some trash bin inspiration on my Pinterest Board – House: Kitchen. We then figured out how to customize our own sliding garbage can (which would be attached to a cabinet door).
Here are directions on how you can create your very own custom DIY pull out trash and recycle bin with tips and tricks we learned along the way!
Deciding on a Location for Your Custom Pull Out Garbage Can Cabinet
Planning where your sliding garbage can will go is important to the flow of how you prepare food in the kitchen! I would strongly suggest choosing a cabinet that is close to your kitchen sink or prep counter. It is so convenient to pull out the slide out trash can whenever you are needing to get rid of waste quickly. Normally, this would be right next to the sink.
For us, our option was a long and narrow cabinet that could only hold cookie sheets. To turn this into a pull out trash bin and recycle bin, we went searching relentlessly for slide out trash cans that would fit that space. Because it was way too narrow and small of a space, our efforts searching at Walmart, Home Depot, Amazon, Target, and Ikea were fruitless for how narrow our cabinetry was. That’s why we ended up DIYing it.
Popular Pre-made Pull Out Trash and Recycling Options
If you are using standard cabinets sizes, I think you’ll be able to find some pull out trash bins that will save you so much time. All you need to do is install it! Here are some of the more popular premade under sink trash and recycling cabinet options you can
Home Depot Slide Out Garbage Kit Options:
- Double 35-Qt. Wood Top Mount Waste Container – $104
- Double 27-quart White Waste Containers – $86
- View All Home Depot Options Here
Amazon In Cabinet Trash Can Rollout Options:
Ikea Recycling Bin Tray Option:
- Utrusta Pull Out Waste bin – $50-ish including bins
The only downside for premade slide out kits is that you may have extra “wasted” space (no pun intended). My goal for this project was to ensure that we maximized our trash capacity so that we don’t have to make several trips to our dumpster outside!
Mounting the Slide Out Trash Can Cabinet Door Considerations
You’ll need to make a decision on how your trash and recycle bin will hang off of the cabinet door for the trash bin.
- With a top mount DIY pull out trash can, you run the risk of food catching around the top “rim”.
- With a bottom mount DIY pull out trash can you run the risk of food catching where the waste bin sits.
We decided to customize it to include the best of both worlds. We used some extra metal poles that we had to and created a slide out with holes to allow for any of the food that would “miss” the trash bin and allow it to go through the holes.
Update: In theory, looking back on it, this might not have been the best idea because our kids love pushing trash down and sometimes it leaks INSIDE the drawer. We ended up putting some cardboard above the poles!
Attaching the Cabinet Door to DIY Pull Out Trash Can
Decide whether you want the cabinet door to slide open when you open the door.You could also have it be a two step process for throwing away the trash – first you open the door, and then slide out the bins.
For us, we kept the hardware in place for the knob so that we didn’t have to do any extra work sanding and repainting the door. Typically, for a slide out waste bin, you should put it in the “middle” of the door. That’s kind of the tell tale sign that the cabinet is for waste. We didn’t feel like putting in wood filler and re-staining the door. Call us lazy 🙂
How to Make a DIY Pull Out Trash Can
Typically, a slide out waste bin uses a plastic trash and recycle bin. One chore that I despise is having to clean gunk out of the bottom of a trash bin using a garden hose. The design of this pull out trash bin with a hollow shell (shown below) makes it incredibly easy to clean. Any trash that doesn’t make it into the can either falls on the floor or onto the lid of the box, which can simply be wiped down. Emptying the cans is a piece of cake.
Here’s what the pull out cabinet trash can slider looks like with the trash bags. It’s a double trash recycling bin attached to the original wood cabinets!
Supplies and Directions for Narrow DIY Pull Out Trash Can
Supplies for DIY Pull Out Trash Can
Drawer Slides
Plywood
1″ by 2″ Wood
L Trim
Gorilla Glue
Directions for How to Make Trash Can Under Sink
1. Measure the length/width of your cabinetry
2. Calculate the size of what you want your cabinetry to be
3. Install the sliders on the 1″ by 2″ as well as the door
4. Use the plywood, L trim, and 1″ by 2″ to make the shell. Glue the L trim to the plywood using the Gorilla glue.
Helpful References
For some other helpful references, here are some similar DIY Projects that I found around the web that might help you out in making a decision on how you can create your own DIY slide out trash and recycle bin:
Do you have a DIY trash can and recycle bin or did you buy a prefabricated slide out bin? I’d love to hear how you “hide” your trash and recycle receptacles!
For more awesome ideas on DIY projects, follow me on Pinterest at Sengerson! Check out my post on a cheap, large DIY and light weight picture frame using styrofoam!
This is such an amazing idea! Right now we have an ugly box in the corner of the kitchen for recyclables, and it’s just so unrealistic for us to have it in there. I would love to do this.
It makes the room look so much “cleaner” 🙂 We take the trash/recycle out every other day!
Love this. How wide was the cabinet you turned into a trash can? We are updating our kitchen and have talked about a pull out trash cabinet, and our idea spot is only 8 inches (if we allow for drawer slides etc. So it makes me wonder if it would be worth it since our cabinet is such a tiny space.
Hi Emily!
It is about 13 inches wide. I thought ours was tiny too until we took out the hinges. Its perfect! I think if yours is long…it would work 🙂
What are your cabinet dimensions? Great idea