Transform Your IKEA Shoe Cabinet Into The Perfect Trash Bin System

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Living in small spaces often comes with storage challenges, including limited room for garbage and recycling systems. But have no fear, because one of the clever ways to hide the eyesore of kitchen trash cans is a simple IKEA hack that turns a plain shoe cabinet into a space-saving trash bin system. The item you need to grab on your next shopping run at IKEA is the TRONES shoe/ storage cabinet, which costs $39.99 for a two-pack. With these, you can create up to four hidden sorting centers for your compost, garbage, and recycling.

When stacked one atop the other, the cabinets are about 30 inches high and 20 inches wide. Their narrow design means they take up about 14 inches of clearance when open, making the IKEA TRONES a perfect piece for extra home storage, especially in tight spaces. With a storage depth of about 6 inches, the cabinets are not designed for large volumes of trash or bulky items like cardboard. So, you'll need to take out your trash at least once a day to avoid an overload.

This mounting process is easy and requires drywall anchors, screws, and a drill. First, pre-drill four holes on the inside of your shoe cabinets (on the surface that'll be against the wall) at least an inch away from each edge. Take the shoe cabinet that will sit at the bottom level of your recycling center and place it against the wall. For proper alignment, place temporary supports underneath, such as small trash cans laid horizontally. This means you'll leave adequate space at the bottom of the recycling setup for easy cleaning.

After that, pass a pencil through the holes you've just predrilled in the cabinet to mark the exact spots where you'll drill parallel holes in your wall. Next, drill your mounting holes, insert the drywall anchors, then screw in your bottom shoe cabinet. Because the cabinets are stackable, make sure the upper unit sits flush on the one below it. Screw this second cabinet onto the wall following the same process. Insert the tilting drawers into each cabinet, and your trash bin system is practically ready. But there's one simple final step that will truly transform this cabinet into a proper trash bin system.

To make this DIY trash bin station more efficient, you want to get four small plastic waste bins that'll fit inside the cabinets. A three-pack of these 1.8-Gallon Trash Cans on Amazon sells for $18.99 and fits perfectly inside the cabinets. They are 5.6 inches wide, have a 7.8 inches breadth, and are 11.2 inches high. These dimensions allow two bins per cabinet while leaving enough clearance for smooth opening and closing.

While you can use bins without lids, lidded bins are better for containing the trash and odor. Secure lids also help deter pets from accessing the trash. If you choose to use lidless trash bins, remember to never fill them to the rim because trash will tumble out and onto your floors when you tilt open the door of the unit. Overfilling can also interfere with the cabinet's tilting mechanism. Finally, label each compartment to keep sorting organized.

Renters who cannot drill into walls may be able to utilize every inch of cabinet storage space by hanging the TRONES shoe cabinet on the side of your kitchen cabinet using heavy-duty adhesive hooks. Just make sure you don't go over the weight limit, or you could have a big mess on your hands.