If you haven’t yet noticed the used trash bins the city has painted with the phrase Recycle! It’s Cool and placed at parks around the city, don’t worry — you’re not alone.
In fact, construction worker Dustin Frick, 23, noticed the bins just yesterday while sitting and chatting with friends on 17th Avenue. And he’s a self-proclaimed recycling expert.
City staff started this pilot project only a few weeks ago, said Centre City Parks superintendent Sylvia Hunter, after pulling out some 39 old trash bins that were simply sitting around.
“It’s been an inexpensive program to try to test this out before making a bigger purchase,” said Hunter, adding the city has had a great response to the bins.
The retrofitted bins are being used to gauge the size and number of recycling receptacles the city will need when it finally invests in standard recycling bins.
Mark MacEwan, who helped organize Calgary’s Rock the Bells hip-hop festival at Shaw Millennium Park this month, said the recycling bins were key to keeping the park clean.
“I guess most people with their head on straight would probably know the difference between recycling and waste, but some probably don’t care,” he said.
