In an era where environmental considerations and sustainability are of paramount importance, managing household waste efficiently has become a top priority. Recycling bins for home and waste sorting is one of the easiest ways to act more environmentally responsible in our everyday lives and thereby help take good care of our planet
Waste is an unavoidable aspect of our daily lives, and it is probably within our kitchens that most of it is created. However, finding a simple and stylish waste-sorting solution for your kitchen that is simultaneously functional, space-saving, and sustainable is nearly impossible. So this year, the team at THE GREAT ADDRESS set out to find the best designer kitchen recycling bins system. We finally found the perfect solution that ticks all the boxes.
A well-designed system of stylish recycling bins for home use that allows us to efficiently sort and allocate materials — such as paper, plastic, and glass — to their appropriate recycling bins, reducing the amount of waste that ends up in landfills whilst promoting environmental sustainability. The materials or items that we used to define as waste is now a resource that can be reused or repurposed.
Having redefined unsightly and bulky recycle bins, ReCollector has designed a compact and sleek kitchen waste system that maximises functionality, aesthetics, and sustainability.
Space-saving modularity is the backbone and design essence of the system, underpinned by a strong sustainability ethos. Made of recycled and recyclable plastic, you have full freedom to determine the number of recycling bins and colours to suit your needs and interiors. Moreover, the system incorporates removable and washable compartments for effortless cleaning and odour control, while its modern aesthetic seamlessly integrates into any kitchen decor.
A smart solution to a real everyday challenge, ReCollector’s designed recycling bins are an efficient and stylish way of managing, sorting and storing your waste.
ReCollector, a sleek design solution for recycling at home
The topic of managing waste and recycling has never been stronger. With that in mind, it is important to choose a bin system for your kitchen that is simple to use, durable, easy to clean and makes your everyday waste and recycling routine effortless.
We rate ReCollector highly because the brand is leading the charge in showing that style and purpose can co-exist when recycling at home.
It is a cutting-edge, practical designer recycling bin and waste sorting system that combines innovation, user-friendliness and clean-lined Nordic aesthetics. Based on user studies, the well-thought-out design is packed with a host of smart features that make it perfect for any home.
The space-efficient recycling bins can be hung on the wall, so valuable floor space is not sacrificed. The boxes have an easy-to-operate opening and closing mechanism, a handle to take out the entire drawer, and the option to attach waste bags. Offering maximum modularity, the recycling bins can be combined, which gives you the flexibility to select the number of waste sorting and recycling bins you need.
ReCollector is designed to make a difference to the environment, driving sustainability towards a circular economy whilst reducing the impact of human activity on the environment. Every day, the average European citizen generates 1.3 kilos of waste, presenting a significant environmental challenge. However, this waste also holds great potential as a valuable resource that can be recycled and repurposed. Plastic recycling plays a crucial role in reducing landfill waste and contributes to water conservation and carbon emission reduction. Recognizing this, ReCollector ensures that all their boxes are crafted from recycled and recyclable plastic, promoting a sustainable and circular economy.
The brand’s waste sorting system fits effortlessly into your home design, becoming a sleek feature rather than an eyesore. And with its versatility, durability, and commitment to sustainability, ReCollector is paving the way for a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable future in your home.
The story: from anthropology to entrepreneurship
ReCollector did not start from an idea but a need for innovative solutions for waste sorting.
Following the implementation of increased waste sorting initiatives in Danish households, many felt frustrated. Despite consumers’ willingness to participate, the lack of space in their homes presented significant challenges to effective waste-sorting practices. Also, bins are often regarded as purely functional and no consideration is given to their aesthetic qualities.
This lack of practical indoor waste-sorting and recycling solutions that offered both optimal functionality and a visually appealing design sparked the entrepreneurial spirit of Tenna Holdorff Christiansen, the founder and owner of ReCollector.
Tenna is a trained anthropologist and has worked for many years to find solutions to problems with a strong human focus. She firmly believes that users possess the most valuable insights when it comes to waste sorting within their own homes.
As a starting point, ReCollector, therefore, used research to gain useful insights into user experiences, habits, frustrations, barriers, needs and preferences in terms of waste management. Over time, all that knowledge transformed into concrete drawings for a product with a strong emphasis on ease of use and space-saving yet stylish design. It must be easy to sort waste and recycle, and it must also be aesthetically attractive.
The result is a new design solution that combines elegance, functionality, and sustainability while effortlessly addressing consumers’ requirements, wishes and needs for recycling.
Scandinavian design marked by stylish minimalism and an elegant colour palette
When you are looking for an effective waste sorting system, it should not only be functional but also provide aesthetic value. ReCollector excels in both — the patented solution is aesthetically pleasing and combines practicality with restrained Danish design.
Stylishly beautiful yet simple silhouettes that balance minimalism, contemporary design, and pared-down sleekness, ReCollector delivers discreet elegance with impeccable modernity and finesse. Defined by stylistic linearity, strict geometry and soft fluidity, the waste sorting bins add a quiet statement wherever you put them.
The fine colour palette is confident, calm and collected, ranging from sober to sophisticated to soothing. Neutrals such as white, beige, brown along with black are complemented by earth tones that are quietly vibrant but still have a muted quality to them. With nine smart-looking hues, the possibilities are endless. No matter which colours you mix and match, they are guaranteed to work together beautifully whilst exuding an understated-yet-classy vibe.
The simplicity of ReCollector’s Scandinavian design extends beyond aesthetics alone, as great emphasis has been placed on functionality and practicality.
Maximum functionality, effortlessly
Waste sorting should be made easy and manageable — every single day. The design of ReCollector is built upon extensive anthropological studies that have delved into consumers’ needs, thoughts, habits and experiences regarding waste management. This has also given ReCollector an insight into consumers’ wishes and preferences for recycling bins at home.
This comprehensive understanding has enabled the brand to effectively address numerous obstacles and challenges that often hinder and complicate the waste sorting processes. Behind the stylish appearance, ReCollector’s bins boast a multitude of intelligent features that are intended to remove the barriers that make waste sorting time-consuming, difficult and unmanageable. Some of the most noteworthy functions that make your life easier and more manageable when it comes to waste sorting include:
WALL MOUNTED. ReCollector’s bins are designed to hang on the wall, as a major barrier to waste sorting is lack of space, especially under the kitchen sink. Moreover, it means that the bin will not take up valuable floor space in the kitchen, which is often limited. With a depth of 15 cm, the sorting boxes can easily hang behind an open door, where many have unused space. As an added bonus, having the unit off the ground means that it is easy to clean the floor underneath, and there will be no risk of grime and germs building up around the unit.
SPACE-SAVING DESIGN. The biggest challenge for consumers in connection with waste sorting is the lack of space. With the increased requirements for waste sorting, we find the traditional area under the sink has become too small.
ReCollector’s space-saving indoor design allows for effective waste sorting without sacrificing valuable floor space or functionality. The flexible yet compact design fits seamlessly into any home environment, whether a small apartment or a spacious house. It eliminates the need for bulky and unsightly bins, providing a sleek and organised waste sorting system. The clean-lined design sits flush against a wall for an unobtrusive profile. If space permits, you can have all your recycling bins in one place, making it both painless and quick to sort food waste, residual waste, cans, glass and everything else apart.
MAXIMUM FLEXIBILITY. The highly flexible modular system allows you the option to stack and combine the bins both horizontally and vertically, depending on the available space. The Recollector system offers unparalleled flexibility, allowing for seamless expansion to meet your evolving waste sorting and recycling requirements. With its fully expandable design, you can effortlessly incorporate additional bins into the system as your needs change.
EASY ACCESS. Convenience is at the heart of ReCollector’s design. Each bin is equipped with a user-friendly opening and closing mechanism that is easy to operate. The containers are tilted out with a light press on the bottom, allowing you to easily deposit waste or empty individual sections of the recycle bins when needed — no lids and all without having to bend over.
The inner box can be clamped using the rear handle and can thereby be left open.
GREAT SIZE. Each bin is surprisingly spacious, despite its sleek, compact look. The size of ReCollector’s waste boxes is designed to accommodate our most common waste without the boxes taking up too much space. For example, 18 cans of soda or five wine bottles fit easily in a ReCollector waste box of 12 litres.
STANDARD BAGS. ReCollector can be used with or without garbage bags. The sorting box is designed so that standard 20-litre waste bags fit perfectly and are simple to put in. The bag can be tightened by using the handles.
EASY TO CARRY. The inner box is easy to take out and empty into the larger recycling containers outside the home. It also features an additional handle that facilitates carrying multiple boxes simultaneously.
HYGIENIC. Made from recycled and reusable plastic, the bins are easy and quick to clean. They can be quickly removed from wall brackets to also clean the surrounding area.
NO ODOUR LEAKAGE. The patented waste sorting solution includes tightly sealed compartments that effectively contain odours and prevent leakage. Say goodbye to unpleasant smells and unsightly spills, as its design keeps your living space fresh and hygienic.
VERSATILITY. ReCollector’s designer recycle bins do not immediately look like a bin, which is why they can be used for more than just sorting waste. This aesthetic storage solution provides added versatility for almost any space in your home, including the entrance hall, laundry room, utility room, children’s play area, nursery, wardrobe and bathrooms. It will help you to remove clutter and organise your belongings.
DURABILITY & SUSTAINABILITY. ReCollector is an eco-friendly product crafted from a blend of recycled plastic and minerals, ensuring enhanced durability while promoting sustainable practices through its materials. In addition, the bins can be further recycled when they are no longer usable.
MADE IN DENMARK. Designed and produced in Denmark, ReCollector clearly shows that functionality, sustainability and design are by no means mutually exclusive. And that using sustainable materials, such as recyclable plastic, fulfils even the highest demands in terms of functional quality and environmental responsibility.
Sustainable and eco-responsible recycling bins
Eco-responsible design aims to minimise the environmental impact of products and systems by incorporating sustainable materials, reducing energy consumption, and promoting recycling and circularity, ultimately creating a more sustainable and regenerative future.
Sustainability has always been a priority for Tenna Holdorff, leaving no room for doubt that the product had to be manufactured with the utmost consideration for the environment, using highly sustainable materials. And all of this has been achieved without compromising on an elegant and stylish aesthetic.
In the quest for suitable material, finding a solution that incorporated both recycled and reusable plastic was critical. Recollector is committed to contributing to the excessive use of fossil resources, such as gas and oil. Recycled plastic, despite its fossil origin, is a sustainable material. As plastic has an extremely high carbon content, recycled plastic acts as sort of a reservoir for carbon. Conversely, if plastic is not recycled, it will either break down into CO2 when burned and thus contribute to the greenhouse effect, or even worse, it will end up as polluting waste in nature. For every tonne of recycled plastic, 3.8 barrels of oil are saved.
ReCollector uses recycled plastic reclaimed from industrial waste in Italy as a raw material. However, sourcing the right sustainable plastic posed to be a challenge. This is not least due to the fact that many different kinds of plastic are used for products and packaging.When sorting plastic waste separately in the bins, the many different types of plastic are mixed together. If new products are then made from this mixed plastic, the plastic cannot be reused; however, if a pure plastic such as polypropylene is used for new products, the plastic can subsequently be reused —repeatedly. To address this issue, ReCollector manufactures its sorting boxes using a combination of recycled plastic and pure polypropylene, allowing for the successful utilisation of recycled plastic even in vibrant colours. This is difficult and also why we see a lot of recyclable plastic in black or dark colours. Moreover, for every Recollector waste box produced, the company effectively removes two kilos of plastic from the existing waste mountain.
There are several reasons behind ReCollector’s decision to manufacture their waste storage and sorting boxes in Denmark. By producing designer recycling bins in Denmark, the brand reduces the transport costs and carbon footprint. Also, by manufacturing the items locally, the label has greater control over quality from start to finish, ensuring its high standards for responsible production and functionality are maintained.
Final thoughts – ReCollector makes waste sorting and recycling easy, stylish and sustainable
By putting green living ideas into practice, we can all take steps to preserve the environment and minimize our impact on the planet. Sorting your waste is one of the easiest ways to protect the environment.
ReCollector contributes to making one’s everyday lives more sustainable by making waste sorting easy, effortless and eco-friendly. Streamlined and sleek, the modular waste system fits seamlessly into your interiors with its minimalistic Nordic aesthetic. The slim household waste bins are stylish yet unobtrusive and designed to get the job done without getting in the way. However, in taking time to get the design perfect ReCollector has not forgotten the basics — the recycling containers are also practical, easy to use, hygienic and sustainable.
