How to Turn Your Pantry into a Recycling Center

Recycling can be a pain in the neck. Keeping bins for all those cans, bottles and papers can take up a lot of shelf space. You can recycle more neatly and more easily by turning your pantry into a convenient recycle center.

Think of the wasted space in your broom pantry. You may have brooms and mops hanging from the back wall, but the center is just wasted space. Take out the brooms and mops and make room for recycling.

Stackable Storage Containers

At most home goods and home improvement stores, you can find plastic storage bins that can be stacked on atop the other. To build your recycling center, you will want to measure your pantry to be sure you are choosing bins that fit well. The right bins will leave roughly six inches of extra space for you to hang your brooms and mops on either side of the pantry.

Measure First

Take your measurements with you to Wal-Mart, Home Depot or Lowes to help you pick the right bins. You will be looking for bins that can be stacked on top of one another. The storage bins also need to have drawers that can easily slide out. This allows you to put your recyclables in the car easily when you are ready to take them to the recycling center.

Ventilate the Drawers

Another important feature for recycling bins is ventilated drawer fronts. You will want drawers with holes that allow air to travel in and out of the bins. This will prevent mold from growing on your recyclables while they are in storage. If you cannot find ventilated drawers, drill holes in the face of the drawers to make air pass through them easily.

Make Room

Finally, be sure to choose bins that are tall enough to fit your recyclables. Newspaper lays flat in standard size drawers, but you will want 12-18 inches of space in containers for bottles and cans.

Once you have installed your recycling center, not only will you have a convenient way to store and transport your recyclables, you will also have an extra shelf in your pantry for added storage.