To save on cleaning costs, a city in Sweden is planning to use crows to pick up discarded cigarette butts from the streets and squares. Specifically, the crows in Södertälje will collect cigarette butts from the ground and deposit them into a collection device, receiving a portion of food each time they do so.
Crows in Södertälje will collect cigarette butts from the streets.
Christian Günther-Hanssen, the founder of Corvid Cleaning, the company behind the project, stated: “These will be wild crows participating voluntarily.”
It is estimated that over 1 billion cigarette butts are discarded on the streets of Sweden each year, accounting for about 62% of total waste. The city government of Södertälje has previously spent 20 million kronor (approximately £1.6 million) to clean up the streets. However, according to Günther-Hanssen, his method could help save at least 75% of the costs associated with cigarette butt collection in the city.
Södertälje is currently preparing to conduct a pilot project before rolling out the initiative citywide. Health considerations for the crows remain a priority, assessing whether the type of waste from cigarette butts is suitable for them.
Crows are easy to train and learn from each other.
In fact, New Caledonian crows, which belong to the corvid family, have reasoning abilities comparable to a 7-year-old child. Numerous studies suggest that crows are the smartest birds suited for this waste collection task. “They are easy to train and also learn from each other quickly. Additionally, the risk of crows mistaking trash for food is lower.”
“Currently, the cost of collecting each cigarette butt is about 80 öre, but with crows, this figure drops to around 20 öre. In the long run, this will save the city a significant amount of money.”
Tomas Thernström, a waste strategist for the city of Södertälje, noted that the effectiveness of the pilot project depends on financial viability. He also shared: “It would be great if this system could also function in other environments. It is interesting that you can teach crows to pick up cigarette butts, yet you cannot stop people from littering.”
