Philadelphia's colorful recycling trucks don't blend in, and that's exactly the point. The eye-catching designs attract attention, which the trucks' creators hope will translate into support for recycling. The designs featured on the vehicles also represent creative reuse: The Design Center at Philadelphia University dusted off their historic textile collection and worked with the Mural Arts Program and the Streets Department Recycling Office to create fabric-inspired vinyl wraps for the trucks. Grown-ups weren't the only ones getting a kick out of recycling. Children in the Mural Arts' Big Picture after-school program learned about the historic textiles, created drawings, and met representatives from the city's recycling plant. 
--Della Watson
Images: Steve Weinik
