Liverpool's purple wheelie bins have achieved landmark status over the years.
They're a light-hearted symbol of the city and for many people they're as synonymous with Liverpool as a superlambana or a Liver bird.
But one big question that many people have asked themselves is why they are such a bold colour?
Up and down the country, local authorities give out plain black wheelie bins for refuse disposal, without the pop of colour we've become used to in our alleyways.
There has long been an 'urban myth' of sorts that the colour choice was attributable to the football rivalry between Liverpool and Everton fans.
The theory went that, knowing Reds and Blues might not be pleased if their rival club's colours became part of the fabric of city life, the council chose purple as the ideal middle ground.
For years, this theory was dismissed as simply being a silly rumour - but it turns out there's actually some truth to it.
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In an ECHO article published in 2018, former Liverpool Council leader and Lib Dem peer Mike Storey revealed purple was chosen as a mix of Liverpool red and Everton blue.
His story confirmed what some had thought was only an urban myth - and he also said things could have been very different.
Lord Storey claimed that a firm initially offered red bins when the council first introduced wheelie bins in 2000.
But he said he and the council’s then-chief executive turned them down because of a belief they could anger Everton fans.
Despite their efforts to choose the most conciliatory colour for both sets of fans, the bold new purple bins were still met with outrage from some when they were brought in.
News articles from 1999 and 2000 suggest a period of 18 months punctuated by growing anger over the introduction of the purple bins, culminating in threats of violence and a walkout that saw collections halted across vast swathes of Liverpool.
Trials of the bins began in 1999, with Liverpool Council following many others across the country by looking to introduce wheelie bins to make collections easier and quicker.
But a botched communications campaign about why the bins were being introduced and controversy over their purple colour led to protests against them in parts of the city.
Two decades after their introduction, views towards the purple bins have enjoyed a dramatic transformation.
Now a by-word for figuring out whether someone is a 'true scouser' or not, they even inspired miniature bins designed to decorate your desk, which sold out within weeks when first introduced at gift shops.
Speaking to the ECHO in 2018, former council leader Lord Storey said: “Some people said it was an outrage at first.
“But in the end people loved them, and no one tends to hide them now. It’s become a badge of pride.”
