That's a great question, and it's something you see in cities all the time. What happens next really depends on the local council or department responsible for street maintenance.
Generally, if a public waste bin gets tagged with graffiti, it's reported either by a sanitation worker, a city inspector, or a resident using a council app. The goal is usually to remove it fairly quickly—often within a few days to a week—to discourage further vandalism and maintain a clean environment.
Is it easy to remove? It varies. Simple spray paint on a smooth, metal bin surface is often the easiest to deal with. Maintenance crews might use strong chemical solvents, pressure washing, or even sandblasting. For plastic bins, they have to be more careful with harsh chemicals that could damage the material. Sometimes, if the graffiti is extensive or the bin is old, it's more cost-effective to simply replace the entire unit.
The biggest challenges are porous surfaces (like concrete bases) where paint soaks in, and "stickers" or adhesive posters, which can leave a frustrating residue. So, while removing graffiti from a standard bin isn't always *difficult*, it is an added, unbudgeted cost and labor task for the city. The process is a constant cycle of cleaning to keep our public spaces looking tidy.