He chutes, he scores: Gander man installs recycling chutes under kitchen sink
A Gander man has found a unique way to conveniently sort his recyclables — and he hopes other will be motivated to do the same.
Sheldon Pilgrim says he was tired of making frequent trips to fill blue bags outside, so he took matters into his own hands and installed chutes that direct items from the kitchen to bins and bags housed in his basement.
Pilgrim told the Central Morning Show that he found it particularly frustrating during the winter, when recyclables would pile up on the kitchen counter.
So, he found a design online, modified it, and said the system "works like a charm."
Pilgrim, who is an engineer, chose to build the garbage chutes underneath his kitchen sink.
"I found this thimble for a chimney ... so, I decided to drill holes through my cabinets. It's the thimble galvanized 6" pipe, it goes down through the bottom of my kitchen cabinet underneath my sink where my garbage can used to be," said Pilgrim.
"It's nice and clean. I bought these access panels from the hardware store, and they screw down ... and it gives a nice, finished look. So I can close the panels. Just lift the cover, and drop the recyclables in. No recycling bins in the kitchen."
Pilgrim said the two chutes are both for recycling. One is dedicated for items the family can take to the recycling depot to get the deposits back; while the other chute is used for tin cans.
Pilgrim is hoping his idea will catch on with other people.
"Part of the problem with recycling is people are reluctant to separating things. They just want to throw things in the garbage. But I think when something like this is in place, they would recycle," he said.
"I mean, you have the tin can, you have to open the cupboard door ... if you were going to throw it in the garbage anyway, and instead of putting it in the garbage, it goes down the chute."
Pilgrim says there has only been one messy incident since the installation.
One of his children had a juice box that was still half full, and dropped it into one of the chutes.
