Dive Brief:
- A fleet of waste trucks in Valparaíso, Chile, have been transformed into rolling art by graffiti artists.
- The municipality contracted the artists, known as UnKolorDistinto, or A Different Color, to create artwork on the trucks in an effort to change residents' views about waste.
- Trash has become a serious problem in the city. Stray dogs often rip into the trash bins and create a mess as they search for food. A series of waste-related issues even prompted the Chilean government to get involved due to health problems caused by poor practices surrounding waste removal.
Dive Insight:
Leaders used the town’s graffiti culture to entice residents to embrace the waste trucks. The city purchased a fleet of 11 new trucks for the artists to paint. Now the community is aware of the sanitation schedule because they want to catch a glimpse of the art on the trucks, whereas before, a majority of residents did not pay attention to collection times.
Valparaíso officials launched a campaign to increase public awareness about waste. The “Limpieza es Cultura," or "Cleanliness is Culture,” tagline focuses on transforming the population’s negative perception of waste into something "cool." The city set up a hotline for residents to call to request trash pick-ups if they spot debris piling up.
Other cities are adding some flair to their waste collection as well: Houston, TX, adorned six trucks in its fleet with artistic renderings in an effort to promote curbside recycling, while the town of Edmonton, Canada also hired artists to paint six of its sanitation vehicles.
