Bling your bin!

Jamie Rennie is on a mission – one which will see the humble Wheelie Bin transformed into a thing of beauty. In an effort to encourage residents to take more care of their bins he has been working his way through Trafford including Sale, to “Bling Your Bin.”

Super heroes, family pets, football clubs, flowers, even an elephant’s head, are all in a days work for Jamie.

‘’It never ceases to amaze me what people want painted on their bin,” says Jamie, ”Sometimes people have a photograph of their pet they want me to paint. The kids mostly want things like Spiderman, or the Incredible Hulk.”

Jamie, who’s 46, worked as a glass blower at the World of Glass Museum in St Helens, until he broke his hand twice and had to change careers.

Now he works out of the Sale Moor Community Partnership, in Norris Road. ‘’I teach art to schools, community groups, and even in prisons. The bin art followed an appeal from the fire brigade and Trafford Council. They wanted to reduce the number of bin fires we were having.

“I think the artwork instills a sense of pride in people. They are no longer just refuse and recycling bins – people have a connection with them.”

The effect of the ‘Bling Your Bin’ campaign has been so successful that Jamie is in demand at weekly sessions running all over the Trafford area. ”Unfortunately I have to do all the paintings. They are done with aerosol paints, and it takes years of experience to paint with them, especially with a confined space on a wheelie bin, and the dangers of inhalation.”

Jamie says his artwork can be found on the outside of hundreds of bins. ”I often stop when the bin lorries are working, to see if I can spot one of my bling bins. My favourite work of art was the elephant’s head.”

For more information contact Jamie on his Twitter account @JmeDzynz.