The Garbage Goat sculpture (seen in video embedded below) is the world's most amusing trash can. Garbage Goat currently resides in Spokane, Washington, at Riverfront Park. This interactive garbage-eating sculpture was created by the late Sister Paula Mary Turnbull aka "the welding nun" in the mid 1970's. Garbage Goat was created as a way to encourage litter cleanup by turning it into a fun activity.
To use the goat, simply press the vacuum button. Next, hold a small, lightweight piece of garbage, such as an empty bag of chips or candy wrapper, under the goats mouth. The sculpture won't work on cans, bottles, or other heavy items.
From Wikipedia:
The Garbage Goat is a metal sculpture in Spokane, Washington's Riverfront Park. It was created by Paula Mary Turnbull, a local artist known as the "welding nun", for Expo '74, the city's 1974 world's fair. The sculpture was designed with an internal vacuum mechanism allowing the goat to "eat" trash held close to its mouth. It is also known as the Garbage-Eating Goat; the sculpture does not have a known official name, though Turnbull originally referred to the goat as "Billy".
The Garbage Goat has become an iconic part of Spokane culture and one of its most popular tourist attractions. It has inspired a cult following, a "secret goat culture" in the city, and a series of goat-themed businesses. The debut of the Garbage Goat at Expo '74 was met with protests from dairy goat farmers, who objected to the sculpture as perpetuating the stereotype that goats are reputed to eat anything.
I wish I had a garbage goat in my own backyard. This looks like so much fun to use, especially for kids. What a great way to encourage litter clean up!
