Neighborhoods across the University of Minnesota district, including Cedar Riverside, Marcy- Holmes and Southeast Como, have begun painting residents’ adopted litter containers with their neighborhood association’s logo.

While the Southeast Como Improvement Association began their “Sunny Litter Container” paintings as a way of sprucing up the neighborhood, they’ve come to find it also works as a method of graffiti prevention – according to SECIA volunteer Lila Smith.

“I find that whenever you do a mural or something fairly artistic, graffiti artists tend to respect what’s there and not tag it,” she said.

City Administrative Analyst Angie Brenny said SECIA is the first of the initiatives she’s seen with a graffiti-prevention-driven purpose.

The litter containers are adopted through the city of Minneapolis and according to Brenny, there are already over 500 adopted containers.

The program requires that the adopter maintains the cans for a minimum of two years.

For University students wishing to adopt one, but cannot make the two year commitment because of ever-changing housing, Brenny suggests they work with their landlords.

“If they have an overseer,” she said, “it can work for rentors.”