How to Make a Wooden Recycling Bin

Years ago in my neighborhood, our township had a curbside recycling program. They gave you a large plastic bin and picked up most recyclables free with the local garbage. Unfortunately, politics prevented this from continuing and the funding was taken and used elsewhere in our community. I still wanted to recycle my garbage but I no longer had a bin to put it in. I used a garbage can for a while, but sorting through all the mess became a nuisance. I bought my own plastic bin but it tipped easily and filled up fast. The sunlight finally rotted the plastic enough and it developed a hole in the side. So what does any woodworking man do? He builds his own deluxe wood recycling bin! In this article, I'll show you how I built my own three bin-recycling container.

The first thing I did was draw up some plans. I wanted a bin large enough to hold the three recyclables that I recycle at my local recycling center. It had to be big, but not to big to handle. I decided on a two feet wide by six feet long and two feet deep recycling bin. I also wanted my bin to look attractive and weather the elements well. I decided to build my recycling bin from cedar since it withstands the weather very well and it looks good.

I bought a few eight-foot long pieces of tongue and groove cedar planks. One side is rough saw, the other side is smooth. These I used for the sides of my recycling bin. I had some left over two by fours that I ripped down into 1 ½ x 1 ½" pieces for struts. This is what holds together my recycling bin, sort of like a skeleton. You don't have to rip down two by fours; you can buy precut 1 ½" spruce or yellow pine.

I first cut six of the eight-foot long cedar boards into six-foot lengths to make my front and back of the recycling bin. I slid the tongue and groove together and placed them face down. At ¾" on each side of the boards, I made a mark and attached the ripped boards (1 ½" x 1 ½") I cut them 1 ½" short of the overall height of the sides of my recycling bin. This way they are ¾ inch short on each side for the bottom and top. I attached the boards with screws, but you could use nails. Just make sure you use weather resistant fasteners. I then cut two of the ripped boards to fit between the pieces I just attached. These are attached in the same fashion. Finally, I attached the two divider pieces on each side. I made a mark by dividing each side into three equal measurements and attached the dividers as needed.

After the front and back were completed, I cut the lengths of each side of the recycling bin at two feet. I attached the three pieces for each side and screwed it into the ripped pieces with screws from the inside. This way, no screws were visible from the outside of the recycling bin. I slid each piece of tongue and groove into the other and attached it to the sides. Once my sides were complete, I had a basic box. Now I needed to attach the top and bottom.

I used a piece of ¾" pressure treated plywood for the bottom. I simply cut it square and attached it with screws through the bottom of the cedar box. For the top I cut the cedar tongue and groove pieces the same length and width as the plywood. I just attached them two three of the ripped pieces with the screws. Then I added three hinges to the inside of the recycling bin. Finally, I added the two dividers for the center. I used two pieces of the leftover plywood I had and fastened them with screws as well.

Later I attached a handle and some wheels to the backside of the recycling bin. This helped with the weight and made it easier to move. I also added a locking latch to the recycling bin. This was for the raccoons that invaded my recyclables. You can design your own recycling bin just as easy in any size you want, but I would recommend using cedar tongue and groove, it does make it easier to work with and lasts for a lifetime.