IKEA’s £5 food waste bin makes following new recycling rules easy and stylish – this odour-proof bin is also perfect for tiny spaces

It’s a very rare occurrence to look at a food waste bin and think: ‘that looks stylish,’ but this sentiment can genuinely be applied to IKEA’s FARMARKVAST Bin. Plus, it has plenty of five-star reviews vouching that it is smell-proof, too.

With the new ‘Simpler Recycling’ rules coming into effect last month, which also have specific rules about food waste, I’ve been trawling the web trying to find easy waste solutions to update your kitchen bin ideas and make recycling a breeze.

At just £5, this sleek IKEA food waste bin will neatly tuck away in your kitchen, whilst making complying with new food waste rules even easier.

It is the opinion of many Ideal Home editors that the Joseph Joseph Food Waste Caddy (£34 at Amazon) is the gold standard for food waste bins. However, I think that IKEA’s £5 FARMARKVAST alternative is a worthy competitor.

Described as ‘bin for organic waste’, the FARMARKVAST bin is small enough to be kept on your kitchen counter, while its stylish green shade and curved shape mean it doesn’t look jarringly obvious it’s a bin.

Keep the lid fixed over the edge when cooking or cleaning, and when not in use, the lid snaps into place to avoid unpleasant odour leaking into your kitchen. Given that rotten food is a signal to attract flies to a food waste bin, this is a really handy feature as we head into the warmer months.

It has a holding handle to make transportation to your outdoor food waste bin super easy, and IKEA even says is easy-to-clean plastic means you can negate the need for bin liners if you wish. Instead, they recommend cleaning the bin after use by wiping dry with a clean cloth, or using a non-abrasive washing-up detergent or soap, if necessary.

In summer, it’s a very good idea to opt for a smell-proof bin or one that has a secure lid to prevent flies from making it their home. So, if you have a council-assigned waste caddy in your kitchen, and find it frequently smells, you can swap it for a smell-proof model like this one - provided you’re emptying it into your large, outdoor food bin for collection. Luckily, many of the bin’s five-star reviews praised how well it keeps in odour.

‘This little food recycling bin is genius. It looks great in my kitchen, and there is absolutely no odour and it holds plenty. It serves its purpose well and is great value for money,’ said one.

‘I love this caddy, which stands neatly beside my chopping board when I’m prepping vegetables. The peel/waste goes straight in, lid on, and no smells until it can be taken out to the compost bin. It looks so much neater than most food waste bins,’ said another.

Alternatively, here are a few more affordable food waste bins that contain bad smells and look somewhat stylish.

This food waste bin honestly ticks every box. It’s stylish, odour-proof and perfect for small spaces. What’s not to love?