Signs for the Environment

The two signs I chose were found on the street that I live on. These are both something we see every day but I am sure we begin to pay no notice after awhile. The top image is a recycling bin and I chose it because it is using a symbol. It has no words but it communicates the message simply by using a symbol on the can to let us know what it is for. The symbol for recycling is powerful because it is something that has become universal, almost everyone knows what it means. The bin might be more effective if it had some words on it, just in case someone was not familiar with the symbol. It also might be more effective if there were some words explaining why to recycle. But personally I think using a bold simple symbol alone works just fine.

The second image is an image of a garbage can on my street. It says very simply "Keep New York City Clean" and on the sides of the image it has a symbol that is against littering. I feel as if the simple message is effective. It is very positive that the city has had these placed on all of the garbage cans as a constant reminder to throw away your trash in the correct place. I feel as if the sign on the can could be more effective if the fine for littering was listed, because it would really steer people away from littering. Sometimes people need an extra push to do what is right, and the idea of losing money would be that push. But overall I think the message does its job.

Lyndsey Matoushek