Recycling Made Easier: Recycling Bags

I'm having a bit of a garbage can/recycling bin dilemma that I'm hoping you might be able to help with. I keep my main recycling bin on the main level of my house because that's where it fits best (for space and cleanliness reasons). But I have bathrooms and bedrooms upstairs (and I do most all of my paperwork upstairs in my bedroom) where lots of recyclable waste is generated.

Though it's good exercise, it's a pain in the butt to run downstairs every time I want to put something in the recycle bin. I don't like keeping a little pile in a designated spot to be brought to the bin on my next trip downstairs because I'm anal and it bothers me to see those things "not in their proper home". So what I'm looking for is a sort of dual-garbage-can that has two compartments -- one to be used for garbage and the other for recyclables.

I've directed this reader to the trash mug - but the question also reminded me of the various recycling bags that are available, which could be helpful in gathering recyclables to be taken to another part of the house. The recycle bags above come from KangaRoom, and are made from recycled materials.




Other recycling bags are divided by type of recyclable. Esschert Design makes a set of bags: orange for paper, gray for cans, blue for bottles, green for organic matter. You can buy the orange, grey and blue bags individually on Amazon.com - or you can buy a set of three from Gaiam, or a set of four from Design Within Reach.




Cost Plus World Market sells jute recycling bags. [via the kitchn] Update on Dec. 12, 2011: Cost Plus World Market doesn't have these any more - but it does have other recycling bags.




And finally, I want to mention these collapsible recycling bins from Seletti - a bit more than a bag, but still a portable alternative. You can buy them here and here.