As dreams go, a clean and organized recycling center in your home is a humble one. But why then is it so elusive? They are so often disaster zones, stuck in the corner of your kitchen, consisting of brown paper bags overflowing with dirty plastic and crumbled soda cans. Take control with a seamlessly integrated system that looks as good as it functions — making sorting, storage, and removal as easy and painless as possible.

Place bags or uglier bins inside matching clean trashcans. Mona’s are tucked in the corner in her kitchen (also lead image above).

Plastic bins inside handled tote bags are not only stylish out in the open, but are easier to tote out to the street when they get full.

A couple of really large bags (in this case big blue IKEA shoppers) hung on hooks in a nook are a great low-maintenance and vertical solution for small spaces.

Make a regular cabinet into a pull-out trash or recycling station. A Beautiful Mess made space for just one, but if your cabinets are deep enough, you might be able to squeeze in at least one more.

Don’t forget about reusable recycling, like plastic bags. They are handy to keep around for other uses, and Martha Stewart has a DIY holder you can hang off a hook in the closet.

Out of sight under the sink is a good option, with enough space for some bins, and a paper bag for paper. Hanging a roll of replacement bin liners is super smart too. From House & Home.

The large bins in Sofia's home are not only attractive, but also large enough to hold lots of reusables and recyclables.