The future of Cleveland is garbage, according to its mayor

Part of a recent plan put forward by Mayor Justin Bibb to “modernize” the city of Cleveland involves selling advertisements that would appear as inserts in water bills, branding on light poles/parking meters, or big graphics on the side of… garbage trucks.

The idea’s premise is simple: one person’s trash is another’s treasure. Bibb believes these garbage truck-ads can drum up revenue for the city to help offset its costs or enable spending on new projects.

And, while not exactly common, ads being displayed on garbage trucks isn’t a novel idea:

• At least 25 garbage trucks in the UK have digital advertising display screens attached to their sides.
• Indiana cities Marion, South Bend, and Lafayette have similar garbage and recycling truck advertising programs. In 2019, Lafayette estimated it would bring in about $2 million in revenue over the next five years.

Yes, but… While garbage trucks may be the perfect place for trash bag-promotions (“our business is garbage, just like what this truck is picking up!”), non-trash-focused industries and local businesses tend to shy away from having their brand associated with garbage.

💸 Zoom out: Municipalities have long seen advertising as a way to drive additional revenue (think: realtors’ faces plastered on the side of city buses and benches). According to the American Public Transit Association, US public transit advertising generates more than $500 million dollars annually, and reaches up to 83% of commuters on weekdays and 69% on weekends.