RONCESVALLES – It’s an overcast Saturday afternoon and the garbage can outside Sak’s Fine Foods is getting some attention. That’s no surprise — it’s new, and it’s seven feet tall. The whimsically named EcoMupi is part of a three-month pilot project. If plans move ahead, 1,500 of them will litter the streets of Toronto, each bearing two large, illuminated billboards. During the pilot phase, citizens are encouraged to comment on the bins at http://www.toronto.ca/garbage/bintest.htm.
Judging by the passersby at Roncesvalles and Howard Park, people are happy to comment. “At first, I wasn’t sure what it was,” says Dorothy Sawicki, checking out the functional part of the bin, which is tucked on the narrow edge. There are slots for paper, cans, batteries, cigarette butts and litter, but she’s missing half the capacity, because the second set of deposit slots are on the other side, facing the road. Examining that side leads to a near collision with a cyclist.
