NEW YORK, Dec. 24 (UPI) -- In an ultimate test of packaging versus product, one New York man has started selling the city's trash in small acrylic cubes.

Justin Gignac came up with the idea of the collectible waste after a debate with some School of Visual Arts friends about the importance of packaging. Gignac said packaging is more important than the product and he was challenged to prove it, The New York Daily News reported Monday.

"The only way to prove such a theory would be to attractively package and sell something that no one in their right mind would buy," he told the Daily News. "Garbage seemed the obvious answer."

Now, Gignac has sold more than 1,000 cubes of New York garbage, in 45 states and 25 countries, for $50 to $100 a pop.

Each acrylic box is decorated with an eye-catching graphic and seal that includes a harvest date, designated cube number and signature of authenticity, the newspaper said.