That's an excellent and practical question about urban furniture longevity! The straightforward answer is: yes, most modern urban trash cans are designed with repaintability in mind, but the ease depends significantly on their initial construction and finish.
Typically, powder-coated steel or aluminum bins are the easiest to repaint. Their smooth, non-porous surface requires proper preparation—a thorough cleaning and light sanding—to ensure new paint adhesion. For plastic composite bins, special primers designed for plastic are crucial. The process involves pressure washing, sanding to create a "tooth" for the paint, applying a suitable primer, and then finishing with high-quality, durable outdoor paint, often an enamel or a specialized municipal-grade coating.
The key factor is the original finish. A heavily degraded, rusted, or chalking surface demands more intensive prep work. Municipalities planning future color changes often specify a standard, neutral base coat for this reason. With proper preparation using the correct materials, changing the color scheme of public trash cans is a manageable maintenance task that can refresh a city's look without full replacement costs.