Creative waste bin monsters in the town center

Creative waste bin monsters in the downtown area

The waste bins in the downtown area will truly delight the eye in the coming days. Hafnarfjörður´s Work School art group has been painting the classic green waste bins to bring new life to them. They have certainly succeeded, and these young individuals have made their mark on them, just as they will make their mark on the rest of us! They call the project creative trash or waste bin monsters, as the openings on the bins are like mouths on a monster.

But how did this idea come about?

“The idea came up in discussions. They went on a brainstorming session and one of the group members had seen this done before, and the group seized the idea,” says Sigríður Diljá Vilhjálmsdóttir, project manager at Hafnarfjörður´s Work School. “The group made sketches and then proceeded to sanding down the bins and priming them. They then transferred the drawings they had made onto the bins,” she says. “We received many colors from Flugger, all sorts of samples. It turned out incredibly well. I have therefore sent out a request to paint more waste bins. We are waiting for a response.”

How many barrels has the group painted by now?

“Currently, they have received permission for eight bins. They will be set up from the ice cream shop, Ísbúð Vesturbæjar on Strandgata and then towards Hörðuvellir,” says Diljá, who is managing the group of seventeen young individuals aged 15-17. But are there more projects for the art group in the summer? “Yes,” she says. “As Pride week approaches, we will paint Linnetstígur, as we have done every year.”

The young individuals in the art group applied through Vala

They went for interviews with the leader who then divided them into groups. They work with the group at the same time as the work school operates, or from 9-12 and again from 13-16. “It also depends on their age how long they stay,” says Diljá. All groups will have completed their summer work by the end of the Verslunarmannahelgi weekend. She says it is fun to observe the work from these young individuals. “It is so lovely to see their creativity break through,” she says.

“We hope that when people throw trash into these creative trash monsters, they think about the environment.” But when will the bins go up? “We aim to have them up in the next few days,” says Diljá, encouraging young people to learn more about the art group and others within the work school and to apply for next year.

Indeed, this brings joy!