On a recent visit to Public Bikes in San Francisco, we admired owner Rob Forbes' trio of industrial recycling bins, which he sourced from United Receptacle. The heavy-duty steel Global Industrial 24-Gallon Step-On Steel Trash Can ($169.95 at Amazon) is available in white, red, or steel.

Above: Martha Stewart is also a fan of free-standing recycling and trash containers: "Though the trend is to have pull-out bins behind cabinet doors, these are easier and cleaner to use," she says.