They turned cart into art!
Dozens of artists visited a Williamsburg can-recycling center on Saturday to help local canners decorate the carts they use to gather recyclables, and organizers say the newly beautified buggies will help the collectors hold their heads up high while out working in the streets.
“As the artists improve the carts, it gives them beauty and in the streets these people will now be recognized, and respected,” said Sure We Can head honcho Ana Martinez De Luco.
The McKibbin Street hub is both a place where collectors can cash in their assembled aluminum and plastic canisters for 5-cents a pop, as well as participate in counselling sessions and community events.
The organization got the idea for Saturday’s cart-garnishing session on a Brazilian artist’s project called “Pimp My Carroca” — “carroca” is the Portuguese word for cart — that aims to bring dignity to the men and women on the margins of society who collect discarded goods for recycling.
More than 30 creative types showed to help deck out the can carriers with colorful cartoons and slogans such as “waste no waste,” and their owners say the results look great.
“It makes it nice, makes it better, makes it different,” said canner Eugene Gadsden.
