Manchester’s Gay Village Bigbelly bins get revamped for Pride celebrations

With Manchester Pride just around the corner, our team hit the streets to give our Bigbelly bins in Manchester’s Gay Village a fresh new look. The upgrade included new wraps, refreshed branding, and strategic relocation to high-traffic areas, all in line with the Gay Village Action Plan to keep the area cleaner during Pride and well into the future.

This project is a great example of why revamping is one of the smartest, most cost-effective ways to maintain public infrastructure.

The Bigbelly Difference: Built to Be Revamped

Our Bigbelly bins have been a familiar sight in Manchester’s Gay Village since 2019. In that time, they’ve handled thousands of uses, endured all kinds of weather, and helped keep the streets cleaner.

Now, with a quick upgrade, they look as good as new without the cost of replacing them entirely. That’s the beauty of Bigbelly: the hardware is built to last for years, and the exterior wraps can be updated whenever needed.

Revamping bins rather than replacing them saves councils and organisations money while also reducing waste. Instead of manufacturing and installing entirely new units, we simply refresh the wraps and make any needed upgrades to both internal and external components.

This approach extends the lifespan of the bin, reduces the environmental impact, and ensures they stay looking great, whether it’s for a major event like Pride or day-to-day city use.

Endless Wrap Possibilities

Another advantage of Bigbelly bins is how easily the wraps can be customised. From rainbow Pride designs to seasonal themes, public service campaigns, or local branding, the exterior can be adapted to fit the occasion.

This flexibility allows cities to:

• Celebrate community events in a visible, inclusive way
• Promote local initiatives and public messaging
• Keep streets fresh and engaging year-round

Listening to the Community

Our fantastic UK Operations Manager, Adriele, was on the ground during the revamp, speaking to people in the Gay Village to hear their thoughts. After all, the bins are there for the community so their feedback is essential.

We were delighted to hear people not only loved the colourful Pride designs but also appreciated the effort to keep the area cleaner and more welcoming for residents, businesses, and visitors alike (and with how new they thought the bins were!).

Manchester has a great few weeks of celebrations coming up and we’re proud that Bigbelly bins are playing a part in keeping it clean and sustainable, this year and for many more to come.

Happy Pride, Manchester!