Special markers to write on dark plastic trash carts?

[Sam Leon]

I am wondering, do they make special bold permanent markers that can write on dark colored plastics that can survive the hot and humid weather in South Florida?

Specifically, something like a Sharpie like pen, with a tip at least 1/4" thick, that can write on dark green, dark blue and black trash carts?

The problem is I have two rental properties on the same street in Fort Lauderdale, dead end streets because one side of it are all river front properties with 75' sailboats etc...I am on the other side, the dry side LOL.

So each property has black carts for garbage, green carts for yard waste, and blue carts for mixed recycle waste.  Problem is right across from my properties, are these huge river front compounds, and the owners are rarely there, they do have servants living in smaller quarters, and they have hired help to come by to take out trash carts and retrieve them on trash days.

My tenants complained about lost carts every other week.  After talking to some of them I know what's happening.

Being a dead end street, the waste trucks back into the street, then the driver - in order to minimize work, pulls the carts from 3, 4, 5 properties to the side of the truck, hit the button to have the lift empties the cart one by one, and when it's done, he drives off. Leaving 6, 7, 8 carts in the middle of the dead end area. After three trucks come by for various types, you may have over a dozen of carts all clustered around. Since the huge compounds use hired help to bring out and retrieve the carts, those people have no idea how many carts they have total. They may bring out 5 and take back 7. On my triplex I have 6 total and on the SFH next door I have 4.

The solution of course is to complain to the waste company for them to return the carts to where they pulled them...that didn't work...multiple calls no changes.

So now I decided I need to label my own carts.

I bought some white colored aluminum foiled "ALL WEATHER" tape.  I put a strip of that tape over each cart, write on the address with a thick black sharpie, then sprayed a layer of clear enamel over it.  In two days the tape came off.  Too hot too humid and so it's NOT ALL WEATHER!

I know some would spray paint LARGE LETTERS on the cans, but that looks very "ghetto" and not in this neighborhood this street.  So my next option is to find some specialty markers and write in the address.

Are these any thick, white or silver, truly all weather markers I can use for this purpose?

[Marcia Maynard]

We label all of our trash and recycle bins with adhesive lettering, the same as would be used on a mailbox. Easy and durable. You can get numbers or letters and in a various sizes. We use the vinyl ones. Can get them in dark or light colors. We prefer the ones that are black numbers on a white background. Reflective metal type labels are also available. We use only the street address numbers and stick them to the top of the lids. You could also put the whole address if need be. Works for us!

[Roy N.]

@Sam Leon

How about a stencil and fluorescent spray paint?  That's how we tagged all of our trash and recycling bins.  We use a bright yellow/orange as it works equally well on the black, blue and green dollies/bins. 

[Dawn Anastasi]

The trash and recycling are smart here. They are light gray and look the same.  But the lids are different colors (blue and green) and can fit both.  So they can manufacture the same bin and use in two different applications.

[Bryan N.]

You are looking for a "paint pen"

Google it

[Ryan Mullin]

You actually need a mean streak.   Everything else will fade way faster.  Its now owned by Sharpie, but mean streaks are a wax substance that works more like a crayon rather than a marker.  Usually you can find them in office supply stores like staples or office max.