A new initiative to reduce illegal graffiti on garbage bins in downtown Kamloops could soon spread to the North Shore.

Executive Director of the Kamloops Central Business Improvement Association Carl DeSantis says the idea to have artists paint murals garbage bins came after a number of bins were being tagged throughout the city.

“We met with the city myself and my counterpart on the North Shore, Jeremy [Heighton], and the city had arranged for one of our local artists to legally paint a mural on a garbage bin which is located by Memorial Arena right now. The feedback was very positive.”

DeSantis says he’d love to see all garbage bins painted, but notes there is a cost associated with it.

“What we have learned as a community is that murals and art such as the bin art are respected by the people including those who install graffiti illegally. And they tend to leave those installations alone, and we’re hoping that is the case for the garbage bins and the murals we have downtown.”