You’d think it’d be hard to get excited about a bin. But you’d be wrong. Just ask Jess Spiring, whose ode to her Brabantia may change your mind
Now listen. I know it’s weird that you’re about to read a lengthy love letter to my bin, but I’ve made it my life’s work to run down the best kitchen bin on the planet. I’ve had foot-pedal, multi-sectioned, under-counter, even motion-sensor bins in my kitchen, but, places, please people… after several decades of questing, I’ve finally located the gold standard of refuse relocation.
Meet the Bo Hi Recycling Touch Bin, from storied Dutch manufacturer Brabantia, who’ve been in the game for more than a hundred years – so, frankly, they should know what they’re doing.
The Bo comes in four colour-ways: white, black, grey and, as a first nod to the firm’s attention to detail, fingerprint-proof stainless steel. While we’re discussing the bin’s undeniably pleasing aesthetic, it would be remiss not to point out the obvious: those lovely retro legs that raise it up off the floor. Whether you choose the compact 36l or roomier 60l (as I have), the styling means it has a nonchalant elegance that makes you less inclined to hide it away in a darkened corner, while still managing to handle the same amount of waste as most other bins.
Practically speaking, inside there are two compartments for separating your recycling from your standard landfill, which seems a reasonable ratio, and each section has its own plastic liner, so where I live, I can dump the mixed recycling straight into my wheelie bin without needing a bag (and therefore more plastic). While we’re on the subject of bags, a brand new Brabantia comes with a couple of its own purpose designed bin bags, which are, like the bin itself, a revelation. Naturally they fit like a dream, never leak or tear and tie up tidily when bin day comes around. Better yet, they disappear effortlessly beneath the lid section which is easily removed for emptying and the occasional wipe down. And finally, the satisfying push-action lid has thus far withstood the rough prodding of my progeny (who managed to test to destruction every previous kitchen bin I’ve owned).
I’ll warrant you that at £153 it’s not the cheapest on the market and is, after all, a bin. But having lived with it for four months, I’ve become extravagantly fond of my Bo. And no, before you ask, I’m not on commission.