Sint-Niklaas (The Brussels Morning Newspaper): In April, MIWA started a project where artists painted glass containers to make them look nicer. This helped reduce illegal dumping and encouraged community pride, with great early results.
To tackle the problem of illegal dumping and littering near glass waste containers, the inter-municipal waste management group MIWA started a project in April. They invited artists to paint ten of their glass containers to make them look better and help stop people from dumping trash illegally.
How is Sint-Niklaas using art to combat illegal dumping?
The aim was to change these useful but often overlooked containers into attractive pieces of art. MIWA wanted to make the containers more noticeable and less appealing for dumping trash. The artistic designs were meant to engage the community and raise awareness about proper waste disposal. These painted containers serve a practical purpose while also beautifying the area, and promoting pride and responsibility among residents. This initiative is part of a larger trend of using art to address environmental and social issues.
In Waasmunster, Temse, Stekene, Sint-Niklaas, and Sint-Gillis-Waas, a project started to help reduce illegal dumping around glass containers by making them look more artistic. Each place had a different artist create special artwork on the containers that reflected the local culture and environment. The idea is to make these containers look nicer so that people won’t want to dump trash nearby and to help build pride in the community. It has been said that the different art styles make the area more attractive and help reduce littering. By working with local artists and using designs that connect with each place, the project encourages people to care more about their surroundings. They mentioned that this creative approach shows how art and community effort can come together to solve waste problems and improve the look of the area.
The early results of the street art project are promising, with the amount of glass left next to the containers reduced by half and fewer caps and lids found around. Illegal dumping of larger items and clothes has also decreased, and MIWA cleans up any leftover glass weekly to ensure safety. People are happy with the project, and artist Kymo One, who painted a container at Waasland Shopping Center, is surprised by its success. He said this is his first time painting a container to help stop illegal dumping. The project is done with Mooimakers, and more plans are in place to keep the area clean around the containers.
