Artistically litter-free at PGCC!

John tries out our new art bin!

If you drive by Pacific Gardens, you'll see something different attached to the traffic sign at the entrance to our driveway - a brightly-coloured garbage can.

This is a gift to our community from the friendly folks of the South End Community Association, and it's designed to reduce litter in the neighbourhood.

The idea of providing the colourful garbage cans - or art bins as they're known - was dreamed up by an imaginative SECA member. If people had something to put garbage in, she reasoned, they wouldn't drop it on the ground.

And if the bins were funky and attractive, with designs made by anyone who wanted to paint them, they might even become a fashionable household accessory.

Turned out she was right.  The bins have become so popular that even people from Nanaimo's posh north end are clamouring to buy them.  But they're not for sale.

In return for giving an art bin a home, which comes fully-equipped with a chain, lock, and free garbage bags, all you have to do is take care of it and dispose of the garbage once it's full.

Our art bin is particularly special, because it was done by a youth group as a service project, and has a striking colour scheme - as you can see in the photo.

We're hoping that in addition to bringing a splash of colour to the grey days of winter, the art bin will also spiff up our section of  Seventh Street, and start a clean street trend!

Kathryn