How To DIY A Garbage Bin Cabinet Solution For A More Organized Garage

If you're dealing with unmanageable garage clutter, you're not the only one. A 2022 study found the garage is considered the messiest place in the house by three out of five U.S. adults, with over a third of Americans not even having room for their car. When you consider the array of tools, toys, and gear most of us keep there, it's easy to see why the organizing challenges can get overwhelming. Every single item needs optimal placement to make a usable space, so where do you begin? When you're looking for immediate gains in a more organized area, one of the best starting points is with a garage staple — the garbage bin.

The garage garbage bin involves a common compromise. As much as we want to maximize space, many need an extra-large garbage can to handle significant waste, especially if the garage doubles as your DIY workshop. Too often, the bin steals several square feet of usable space while adding nothing to the garage's look. But it doesn't have to! With one simple cabinet solution, you can tuck your garbage bin out of sight, making your garage look more organized without losing a functional work area around it. If you have a workbench with an open area beneath it, you have a perfect storage spot. And with a few DIY additions, you can make it more accessible and easier on the eyes by putting it behind a closed door.

A garbage bin storage system is one of the best garage storage ideas for any handyperson to accomplish. Solutions range from super simple to more complex and versatile. The important thing is to have a garbage bin that's small enough to fit cleanly within the cabinet. Measure your current cabinet, and get a garbage bin that will fit snugly within the cavity. Most garage workbenches are 28–36 inches deep and 28–36 inches tall, so garbage can options like the classic Rubbermaid 32-gallon Brute Container can usually work. Bins like this also often have optional rolling bases. Attach the wheeled base to easily slide the can in and out of its storage space under a work surface. Build your own DIY cabinet doors to attach to the bench, and you can keep the bin neat and tidy when you aren't using it.

Rollers are a simple, quick, and cheap way to make a pull-out garbage can, and you can DIY it with any bin style. If your garbage can doesn't have a compatible rolling base, make one with a piece of thick plywood and some fixed casters, like these WEITELAI 1-Inch Mini Fixed Caster Wheels. Cut the plywood to fit within the cabinet cavity, and install the wheels on the underside. You can then fix the garbage bin in place by screwing it into the plywood platform for simple yet effective functionality.

For a sturdier build, you can try drawer-style garbage bin storage using sliders. The process is more complicated than putting rollers under the can, but the benefits are worth the effort. The example above outlines an attractive, solid construction using a custom-cut garbage bin holder attached to ball-bearing slides. Start by measuring the circumference of the bin below the lip. Cut a hole with that diameter into a square piece of plywood sized to fit the cavity of the garage workbench/cabinet. Make a square box frame to support the plywood bin holder and the drawer slides, just as you would when DIYing drawers and pull-out shelves for your cabinets. Install the sliders, and finish the build by adding a door front with a pull handle to the front of the drawer frame to hide the bin.

If you like this idea but don't want to DIY it, you can buy ready-made pull-out garbage cabinets like this Tanamu Trash Can Pullout. Unfortunately, these options often limit your garbage bin sizes. For the perfect fit for your garage, you're better off building your own. Using this design, you can install your garbage bin drawer in almost any workbench or cabinet as long as they have enough space underneath. At most, you may have to build extra side supports under the bench to hold the sliders. Since it's elevated off the ground, you can even integrate it into a mobile garage shelf for on-the-go storage, letting you easily move the bin anywhere you need it.