Where Recycling Meets Art: WM’s New Indianapolis Facility
Public art at WM’s new education center brings sustainability lessons to life
Before the doors open and the machines start humming, visitors to WM’s new Indianapolis recycling facility encounter something unexpected: a piece of public art that turns the site into a lesson on sustainability before anyone ever steps inside. Installed on the exterior of the facility’s attached education center, the mural signals that this is not just a place where materials are processed — it’s a place designed for learning, connection and community engagement.
As part of the facility’s opening, WM—North America’s largest recycler and leading provider of comprehensive environmental solutions—worked with local arts organizations and the City of Indianapolis to commission a large-scale exterior mural reflecting environmental responsibility and local identity. Rather than relying on signage or branding, the focus was something more enduring: a work of art that makes sustainability visible, approachable and accessible to students, educators and visitors alike.
A Community Centered Approach to Public Art
From the beginning, the goal was to create something rooted in Indianapolis. WM worked with the Indy Arts Council to host an open call for local artists, prioritizing applications that demonstrated a clear connection to sustainability and community storytelling. More than two dozen Indianapolis-based artists applied.
Muralist Christina Hollering was selected for her experience with large-scale public art and her ability to translate environmental systems into accessible, people-centered imagery.
Making Sustainability Visible—Without Words
The mural focuses on imagery to tell a story. People, materials, pollinators and natural elements come together to represent recycling, circular systems and shared responsibility, creating a design that resonates across ages and backgrounds.
“Sustainability is nonnegotiable for me; I integrate it into both my daily life and my creative practice,” Hollering said. “It shapes not only how I work, but the environmental themes I explore in my artwork.”
Several design elements draw directly from her own life. Hollering used reference photos from her pollinator garden to inform the milkweed and bumblebees featured in the mural, and incorporated imagery inspired by her own WM recycling cart to ground the work in everyday behavior.
Art as Education—Beyond the Classroom
In addition to her work as an artist, Hollering is also an educator, using art to explore sustainability concepts at the collegiate level. The mural offered an opportunity to extend that learning beyond traditional classroom walls.
“Art has the ability to meet people where they are,” she said. “It can spark curiosity, ask questions and help people see themselves as part of a larger system — especially when it comes to sustainability.”
Connecting Creativity and Green Careers
The project highlights the many pathways connected to environmental solutions and reinforces the idea that sustainability is something people can engage with in many ways.
From artists and educators to technicians, operators and tradespeople, building a more sustainable future extends far beyond any single profession.
A Lasting Investment in Indianapolis
The permanent mural coincides with the opening of WM’s state-of-the-art Indianapolis recycling facility, transformed from a previously operated site into the first WM facility of its kind in Indiana to feature a dedicated education center. The facility will also support the city’s plans to launch its first universal curbside recycling program.
The mural will continue to serve students, visitors and the surrounding community for years to come.
See the mural come to life in this video: