Rio “Trash Can Parade” shows right way to dispose of garbage

The inspiration comes from the Cow Parade, an international public art exhibit in which cow sculptures decorated by local artists are scattered across major cities around the world. In Rio, it gave rise to the Trash Can Parade (or Lixeira Parade, in the original), and comes as part of the initiative Rio Eu Amo Eu Cuido (“Rio: I love it, I take care of it,” in a literal translation). The idea of the Brazilian initiative is to draw people's attention to urban waste in a creative way, says Ana Lycia Gayoso, one of the movement's coordinators.

Trash cans from COMLURB, the city's waste collection and cleaning utility, were painted by well-known Rio graffiti artists and placed in some of the city's busiest spots. In total, 50 trash cans and ten beach dumpsters were scattered across the city.

Poorly discarded waste

The graffiti artists, who spearhead other urban art-related activities under Rio Eu Amo Eu Cuido, were free to decorate the cans as they thought best. The push, Ana Lycia said, has yielded fruit. The public stops to gaze at the trash cans.

The plan is to raise awareness, among both residents and visitors, about the proper way to dispose of garbage. The problem gets worse in the summer, Gayoso argued. “It's the season with the highest rate of incorrectly discarded trash, not just on the beach, but also on the streets, by the people moving around the city.”

With the summer showers, poorly discarded urban garbage is the number one reason behind street flooding. As a result, the activist maintains, initiatives like Rio Eu Amo Eu Cuido are crucial for tourist cities where people flock to the beach in the summer. The result is always a lot of waste. “It's about behavior. One of the keys for urban cleanliness is talking about how people behave and urge them to do their part,” she said.

Gayoso went on to say that the goal is to show trash cans in an artistic and playful manner—“to give people a slap on the wrist, not to annoy them, but rather in an amusing and laid-back way.” In addition to graffiti, which draws the eyes of by-passers, the cans carry a sticker with the words “now that you've noticed it, throw the garbage away in the right place.”

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira