Mack Trucks and NYC Sanitation Unveil Hand-Painted LR Refuse Trucks in Art Program
The New York City Department of Sanitation and Mack Trucks have unveiled five hand-painted Mack LR refuse vehicles as part of the Trucks of Art program, turning garbage trucks into mobile art to promote cleanliness and…
5
400+
12,000 tons
What Happened
The New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) and its nonprofit partner, the Sanitation Foundation, selected five artists from more than 400 submissions to paint Mack LR refuse trucks. The designs focus on cleanliness, recycling, composting, and honoring DSNY workers. The trucks were painted over seven days at DSNY's Central Repair Shop in Queens.
“As part of New York’s Strongest, the workers of the DSNY helps keep New York City clean for its residents, which is no easy task considering each day 12,000 tons of garbage is collected. Mack is proud that the Mack LR is able to help them accomplish this, and we’re also proud to sponsor Trucks of Art to help celebrate local artists, sustainability and the people who keep New York clean.”
The program was a zero-waste challenge, with artists using leftover paint collected through Materials for the Arts and partners. Each winning artist received a stipend. The trucks will be deployed to garages across the five boroughs for refuse collection.
“Department of Sanitation collection trucks perform a critical task, removing the 24 million pounds of material New York City residents set out every day. At the same time, they are an integral part of New York City’s streetscape, and by commissioning local artists to turn these trucks into roving works of art, DSNY and the Sanitation Foundation are uplifting neighborhoods, showcasing local artisti”
Why this matters
The initiative beautifies city streets, celebrates local artists, highlights sanitation workers, and demonstrates Mack's community engagement and commitment to sustainability.
Terms in This Story
- DSNY
- New York City Department of Sanitation
- Class 8 refuse vehicle
- A heavy-duty truck classification for the largest commercial trucks, used for trash collection
- Zero-waste challenge
- An initiative to minimize waste by reusing materials, in this case leftover paint
- Mack LR
- A low-entry Class 8 refuse truck offered in diesel and electric models
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.