This Fancy Kitchen Trash Can Is the Greatest Gift I've Ever Given to Myself

There are many things I feel empowered to splurge on, when able—a good meal out with friends, a long-overdue vacation, fancy skincare. There are more things, however, that I'm reluctant to spend a lot of money on. One example? Trash cans. For something so unglamorous—a bucket that holds your waste—I'd always figured there was no reason to invest, and no way to improve upon my home trash-recycling system, which has historically been less of a system and more of three bulky plastic bins that monopolize my kitchen space.

A few months ago, I reached a breaking point. My three bins—one for trash, one for plastic and cans, and one for paper—felt like they were shrinking my little Brooklyn kitchen even smaller, and I constantly had to take the trash out because they didn't hold very much. Doing some research, I stumbled upon the Home Zone Living 13-Gallon Kitchen Trash Can, which has two compartments so it can hold recycling and trash in one compact space. (It holds up to 50 liters.) I never thought I would be spending money on a trash can that costs over $100, but I also knew I couldn't live any longer the way I was living. I took a risk. I splurged.

The moment it arrived, I knew I'd found the one. Because the trash can is so tall, it takes up minimal space in my kitchen, and fits really nicely next to a counter. It holds a lot, which means less running downstairs to take out the garbage. The foot pedal quietly and smoothly opens the lid, too. (I know this isn't new technology, but it's new to me, okay??) The trash can also comes in a larger 15.8-gallon size, if you live with other people and produce more trash.

It may not seem so glamorous, but this trash can has made my kitchen feel infinitely more breathable and organized. The splurge paid off.

To buy: Home Zone Living 13-Gallon Kitchen Trash Can, $115 at amazon.com