WASHINGTON — D.C. is continuing to promote recycling in a unique way.
Through Sept. 6, the District will be unveiling 15 new Department of Public Works trucks wrapped in artists’ murals.
The “Designed to Recycle” initiative originally launched in 2010 with 10 trucks wrapped in artists’ murals. The project is part of D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s mission to expand the creative economy and encourage residents to recycle.
One of the new trucks is wrapped in pink, yellow and blue with the words “Waste Not” on the side. Another shows a monarch butterfly cruising over the bay, and a third has the words “I heart DC” on the side.
“Through the Design to Recycle project, we are able to support and showcase the talent of our local artists, further enhance the visibility of the city’s recycling efforts and add to the creative landscape of the District in all eight wards,” said Angie Gates in a news release.
Gates is interim director for the Commission on the Arts and Humanities.
DPW has also partnered with the city’s Murals DC project, which replaces graffiti-tagged walls on buildings with original works of art.
“Art has been a powerful tool in engaging residents with our agency’s work,” DPW Director Chris Shorter said in a news release.
“The wrapped trucks forge a connection between our sanitation teams and the neighborhoods we serve and our drivers are excited to drive them. We hope these moving pieces of art inspire citizens to remember the vital role they play in the city’s sustainability efforts.”
The Commission on the Arts and Humanities provided funding for this project.
