It would cost about $2 million to equip the city with the slimmer, advertising-free bins, Coun. Clive Doucet estimates.It would cost about $2 million to equip the city with the slimmer, advertising-free bins, Coun. Clive Doucet estimates. (CBC)

An Ottawa city councillor who doesn't allow public recycling bins in his ward because he considers the current model too ugly and bulky is pushing for a slimmer, advertising-free design.

Clive Doucet, who represents Capital ward, unveiled his prototype Thursday, placing several samples around Ottawa city hall.

"These are much smaller, they're much more community friendly," the councillor said.

Equipping the whole city with the new bins would cost $2 million, he estimated.

The current bins bring in about $14,000 to $18,000 a year in advertising revenue.The current bins bring in about $14,000 to $18,000 a year in advertising revenue. (Leslie Young/CBC)

Doucet has complained that most of the city's current bins, which are the size of three newspaper boxes put together and carry a large advertising panel, block the sidewalk and are destructive to local commerce.

The 300 bins currently bring in a total of $14,000 to $18,000 a year in annual revenue for the city.