Ever since the invention of municipal garbage pickup in 1875 (when the filth in London’s streets got to be too much for Parliament to stomach), there have been trash bins. Or “moveable receptacles,” as the English put it in those days.
Whether you call yours garbage cans, dust boxes, or wheelie bins, chances are that your moveable receptacles are not adding to the curb appeal of your home. The solution? Conceal the cans.
We’ve rounded up some of our favorite ideas to discreetly disguise the trash cans, including tiny storage sheds, roof garden camouflage, sidewalk boxes, and woven willow panels. Here are 10 ways to hide the garbage:
Garbage Houses
![Müllhäus means \2\20;garbage house\2\2\1; in German and Passau, Germany-based Traumgarten has a collection of standard size and custom Müllhäuser with larch wood panels and high-pressure laminate plate doors. Some models have plant trays on top for roof gardens. For more information and prices, see Traumgarten.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/hide-trash-bins-garbage-mullhauser-traumgarten-733x489.jpg)
Roof Garden Camouflage
![A Garden Shed With Planter Roof with a cedar roof with a waterproof rubber membrane hides two garbage bins; \$995 CAD (\$797.50 US) from Redwood Sheds.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/hide-trash-bins-shed-roof-garden-733x499.png)
Willow 3-Panel Screens
![A folding Willow Tri-Panel Trash Can Cover has a steel frame and is adjustable; it is \$\149.95 from Plow & Hearth.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/hide-trash-bins-garbage-cans-willow-panels-plow-hearth-733x806.jpg)
DIY Willow Screens
![With Brainded Willow Panels available in two sizes (36 inches and 7\2 inches wide), you can make a custom size screen to hide trash bins and garbage cans. Prices per panel range from \$56.87 to \$98.6\2 depending on size from Master Garden Products.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/hide-trash-bins-garbage-cans-braided-fence-panels-733x500.png)
False Fence
![](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/black-fence-almbacken-hide-trash-bins-733x1095.jpg)
Make your own fence extension with a Horizontal Slatwall Panel ($59.95 for a 4-by-8-foot panel at Store Supply Warehouse). Paint or stain it to match the color of your existing fence.
Dustbinbox
![A Dustbinbox from Augsburg, Germany-based design@gartenhaus conceals trash cans in a sturdy storage container that’s stylish enough for the front garden. See more in Curb Appeal: A Design-Worthy Dustbinbox to Conceal Trash Cans.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/hide-trash-bins-garbage-cans-dustbinboxx-733x879.jpg)
Tamper-proof (take means you, raccoons) and weather-resistant, a metal storage container is a good choice for an exposed spot on the side of the house.
CitiBins
![With aluminum frames and side panels made of bamboo composite, a two-door CitiBin modular kit is sized to house a 44-gallon round can or a 30-gallon rectangular can; from \$\2,850 to \$8,\250 depending on the number of modules.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/hide-trash-bins-garbage-cans-citibins-733x438.png)
Designed to fit in a small city front yard, multiple CitiBin kits can be connected to create storage for a multi-unit apartment building.
Reclaimed Pallet Bins
![A Trash And Recycling Bin made from reclaimed pallets is 34 inches long, 34 inches tall, and \18 inches deep; \$399.99 from S & S Pallet Creations.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/hide-trash-bins-garbage-cans-reclaimed-pallets-733x496.png)
City Sidewalk Boxes
![A freestanding MetroBox comes fully assembles and is designed to hide two 3\2-gallon garbage cans; \$\1,000 plus \$50 delivery fee within New York City.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/metrobox-hide-trash-bins-garbage-cans-733x538.png)
Weather-resistant and sized to sit against the side of a townhouse stoop, a MetroBox has both lids and doors for easy access.
Mini Garden Sheds
![A Storage Shed with lockable doors and a lift-up lid for easy access can be used to hide trash bins and garbage cans (it\2\17;s varmint proof); \$\29\2.93 at Hayneedle.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/hide-trash-bins-garbage-cans-mini-storage-shed-733x441.png)
Ventilated Lean-tos
![With room for both a recycling can and a trash bin, a ventilated spruce Double Wheelie Bin Cover is \2\20;the ultimate concealment\230;the perfect camouflage for your unsightly bins, offering both disguise and protection, all incased within a stylishly crafted frame.\2\2\1; It is £\275 from Garden Trading.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/hide-trash-bins-garbage-cans-garden-trading-733x462.png)
N.B.: See more utility storage:
- Storage Solution: A Customizable Storage Shed from Germany.
- 10 Easy Pieces: Garage Storage Units.
- The Organized Life: Garden Shed Storage System from Pottery Barn.
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