6 Best Dual Trash and Recycling Cans in 2026

The Lovewind 2x13 is the capacity leader of this group. Each side holds 13 gallons, the same size as a standard kitchen can, so both the trash bin and the recycling bin take ordinary supermarket 13-gallon bags and you never hunt for a special liner. The brushed stainless body has a smudge-resistant finish, and the two polypropylene inner buckets carry built-in handles so each one lifts out on its own.

The lid is stainless steel rather than plastic, and the listing says soft-close hydraulic hinges stop it slamming. The steel pedal is described as good for up to 200,000 presses, which the maker translates into more than ten years for a family of four to six. Treat that as the maker's claim rather than a guarantee, but it is the highest pedal figure among the dual cans here.

The trade-off is size. At 28.2 inches long it is the widest can in the lineup, so it needs a real wall or a gap beside the dishwasher, and a full 13-gallon bin is heavier to carry than the 8-gallon buckets on the SONGMICS or NEWBULIG. Compared with the 24-inch Lovewind 13+6, you give up some compactness to get a recycling bin that matches the trash bin. For a busy kitchen that recycles as much as it throws away, it is the roomiest option.

The SIMPLI-MAGIC 21 gallon takes a different approach from the others by sizing each side at 40 liters and color coding the two inner buckets, so household members can tell at a glance which bin is recycling. A stainless foot pedal opens the lid, and the listing says the pedal is calibrated for a light touch, which matters if you have ever tried to operate a stiff pedal while carrying a pan.

It is the one dual pick that builds a filter into the lid. A holder in the lid takes standard carbon filter replacements, aimed at smells that build up between bag changes. The listing says the soft-close action takes about three seconds to settle and the lid can also be held open for longer cleanups, a useful combination when you are scraping several plates in a row.

It is bigger than the 16-gallon trio of Amazon Basics, NEWBULIG and SONGMICS but smaller than the Lovewind 2x13, so it suits a mid-sized household that has outgrown a 16-gallon can. The carbon filter is a recurring item you replace, which the listing implies by calling it compatible with standard replacements. If you want odor control without moving to a battery-powered sensor can, this is the cleanest answer in the lineup.

The Lovewind 13+6 is the only pick here with an uneven split. The big side holds 13 gallons, enough for large pizza boxes and family-sized food containers, while the smaller side holds 6 gallons for paper, plastic or glass. That ratio suits households that produce more garbage than recyclables, or that drop most of their recycling at a curb bin outside every few days.

The footprint is noticeably smaller than its sibling. At 24 inches long and 12.4 inches wide it tucks into a tighter spot than the 28.2-inch Lovewind 2x13. It shares the same brushed stainless body, polypropylene inner buckets with handles, steel lid and hydraulic soft-close hinges. The listing says the recycling side needs 8-gallon bags while the main bin takes standard 13-gallon bags, so you will buy two bag sizes.

That two-size bag requirement is the main ownership wrinkle, along with the fact that 6 gallons fills quickly if you recycle a lot of cardboard and bottles. Next to the Amazon Basics at roughly 8 gallons per side, it trades recycling room for trash room. If your recycling is mostly cans, bottles and the odd newspaper, the smaller bin is plenty and the more compact body is a real advantage.

The Amazon Basics dual can is the plain, uncomplicated option. Its listing is short, which is a fair reflection of the product: a rectangular body with a durable stainless steel exterior, two plastic liner bins of 7.9 gallons each for a 60 liter total, handles on those bins and a soft-close lid. The exterior is described as fingerprint proof and smudge resistant.

The feature list is deliberately lean. There is no odor filter holder like the SIMPLI-MAGIC, no stay-open lock or pedal rating that the listing quotes, and no bag tuck band. What you get is a conventional, split-in-half sorter with equal bins, which is an easy format to live with because both sides behave the same and take the same bag.

At 15.9 gallons total it sits with the NEWBULIG and SONGMICS in the compact class, and well below the 26-gallon Lovewind 2x13. That makes it a sensible fit for one to three people or an apartment kitchen. Bag choice is the only practical thing to check: bins this size take smaller than standard kitchen bags, so confirm the bag size on the listing before you stock up. If you do not need extras and want a straightforward, familiar-looking can, this is the one that asks the least of you.

The NEWBULIG is the pick with the most carefully described lid. Stepping on the pedal opens it to about 80 degrees, and when you need it open during prep or repeated disposal it stays put at 90 degrees. A soft-close mechanism then lowers it quietly. If you cook a lot and constantly scrape cutting boards, a lid that stays up on command is worth more than a few extra gallons.

Each inner bucket holds 8 gallons, and the listing gives a handy yardstick: up to 20 standard 16.9-ounce water bottles or 45 12-ounce cans per bucket. The buckets lift out individually, which makes it easier to empty one side without disturbing the other. The pedal is steel and the maker says it has been tested beyond 150,000 steps, a lower figure than the 200,000 quoted for the Lovewind models.

The footprint is 14.7 inches wide, 19 inches deep and 26.5 inches tall, so it is deeper than the 12.4-inch-wide Lovewind 13+6 and wants a spot where the lid can swing up. It is a very similar size to the SONGMICS, with the NEWBULIG's advantage being the clearly stated lid angles. Choose it if how the lid behaves during messy cooking matters more than headline capacity.

The SONGMICS ships with 15 liner bags in the box, so it is ready to use on delivery, and the listing names SONGMICS 8-gallon bin liners in code H as the compatible refill. That small detail removes the usual guesswork about which bag fits, a real convenience when you set up a new kitchen or give the can as a gift.

The design uses a stainless steel body and lid with large metal pedals described as tested for over 180,000 steps, placing it between the NEWBULIG at 150,000 and the Lovewind cans at 200,000. The wording about the lids is also specific: each lid can stay open at a 90 degree angle during cooking or cleaning, then seals firmly. Two inner buckets with side handles lift out easily to sort and empty.

It is a straightforward 16-gallon-class can, similar in capacity to the NEWBULIG and Amazon Basics, and it beats both on included extras. Its 8-gallon buckets are far lighter to carry out than the 13-gallon bins on the Lovewind 2x13. The cost of the small bins is more frequent trips, so it fits best when two or three people share a kitchen. For a first dual can, the included liners and clear bag code make it the easiest to set up.