About Painted Bins
“Painted Bins fill this void in our parks and public spaces by offering compost bins for the appropriate disposal of food scraps.”
Painted Bins fill this void in our parks and public spaces by offering compost bins for the appropriate disposal of food scraps. It is an initiative that uses children’s art to create awareness, while information retrieved through QR codes informs the public about the importance of diverting food waste from the landfill.
The artwork on the Painted Bins allows the voices of our children to be heard, informing us as to why they believe composting is an important step in fighting global warming. They are the future, and the art expresses their concerns about the planet they will inherit. Their artwork is inspiring, thought provoking, and is intended to lead to positive action with the disposal of food scraps. Painted Bins beautifies our parks by eliminating food scraps and turning ordinary trashs can into works of art.
It is our mission to close the loop on the recycling of food waste. Plants develop in soil to produce much of our food. We then eat and enjoy the food to sustain ourselves. When we dispose of leftover, excess or spoiled food in a compost bin, it decomposes into nutrients that can be used as fertilizer in the soil to grow more food - it’s a beautiful cycle we should all practice and encourage.
Painted Bins address the needs and concerns of cities, haulers, and the public. The bins are:
Animal proof
Weather resistant
Fitted with foot pedals, which makes the bins hands free
Provided with locked interior bins for food collection
Equipped with interior bin rollers, making it easy for haulers to move
Signs and graphics on the front of the bins are provided by local haulers so the public can easily understand what should be placed in the Painted Bins.
“We are thrilled to bring Painted Bins to Corte Madera, and appreciate their partnership in helping our town meet its commitments on sustainability and waste diversion.”
-City: Eli Beckman, Corte Madera Councilmember and former Mayor
“With food composting becoming adopted throughout California, the Painted Bins Program is targeting an overlooked aspect of those regulations, parks and public areas. Adding composting in parks, the potential to divert that food waste material away from the landfill will help California achieve their goals of reducing organic waste disposal by 75% by the year 2025.”
-Hauler: Dave Biggio, Mill Valley Refuse Owner
“Kathy has put together a wonderful project that includes inspiring children in environmental stewardship, art and beautifying our local parks. We are happy to support this project and the collaboration between the City of Corte Madera and Mill Valley Refuse. This project also blends perfectly with Zero Waste Marin’s Zero Waste Schools Program.”
-Zero Waste Marin: Casey Poldino, Sr. Planner
"What a wonderful process the Painted Bins Project was for our students! They were highly engaged throughout the contest, from learning more about the importance of composting, to planning and designing their posters, and finally to creating their terrifically creative projects! Painted Bins aligned beautifully with our goal of helping students become environmental stewards of our planet. They took the information they learned and shared it with their families, and were eager to apply and share their knowledge through their art. It was a valuable experience for all!"
-Neil Cummins Elementary School 3rd Grade Teacher: Liza Mathews, M.Ed.