Not a silly question at all! We have a recycling and gardening center in our back yard – so everything eventually migrates there after we place things in stacks. We also have a collapsable trash can that we pull out when we have meals, entertain, etc. It’s one of those basic camping ones that we use around the pool, too. I don’t like to leave it outside when we don’t need it because of ants. That way when it’s not in use, we just fold it back up. As far as the cooler, we have a mini fridge we keep outside, with cold drinks. So unless we just want ice, we don’t need a cooler. Otherwise we will haul out the cooler. ;}