When I started this goal, I wasn’t really sure where it would go. The idea of writing a paper about painted/decorated trashcans at events sounded kind of weird at first, but I got really inspired by big festivals like Tomorrowland and Coachella. They don’t just care about music and fun, but also try to be sustainable and involve the community. That made me think why do we not just do something creative like that here in Heerlen, where events are also struggling with waste.

At first, I felt a bit unsure because writing 750 words about trashcans didn’t seem that deep or important. But once I started looking into how decorated bins can actually change the behaviour of attendees and their willingness to trow it away and even help with diversity and community I started to enjoy it. I felt like I was working on something that connects art, community and events

What went well was that I really got to explore how something simple like a trashcan can represent bigger values. I liked linking it to professional ethics, like caring for people, respecting the environment, and including the community. I also learned about stakeholder engagement, and how getting artists, event planners, and visitors involved can make a small idea much more powerful.

One thing that was kind of hard was making it realistic. I had to think about how to actuall get people to care. SO decided the smart choice is to introduce it the first year and make it a compest later. That took some extra thinking. 

Looking back, I think this goal helped me see how sustainability, diversity, and ethics all come together in event planning. I used to think of waste management as just rules and boring clean-up, but now I see it can be creative and bring people together. I also got better at reflecting on what I’m doing, not just doing it to finish it.

In the future, I want to do more projects that mix art, sustainability, and social goals. I also want to keep improving my writing and critical thinking skills, so I can speak up about ideas that matter for me. This paper showed me that even a small thing like decorating a trashcan can start a bigger change. And I find that very interesting.