Izvor: Pexesls_parviz-hajizada
Near Stockholm, in the Swedish city of Södertälje, an unconventional pilot project is underway to tackle one of the most persistent forms of urban litter: cigarette butts. The startup Corvid Cleaning has designed a system in which wild corvids — mainly crows — are rewarded for depositing discarded cigarette filters into a specially built device.
1. Pilot Project in Södertälje
The initiative began locally, with a bird feeder/trash bin installed in the city where crows can voluntarily drop cigarette butts. In return, they receive food as a reward, says Euro Weekly News. The project is being carried out in close cooperation with municipal authorities and environmental organizations.
2. How the System Works
The core of the system is a bespoke machine: when a crow inserts a cigarette butt into a slot, the device detects the object (rejecting leaves or stones) and dispenses a small food reward, such as peanuts. Through this positive reinforcement, the crows learn quickly, leveraging their high cognitive abilities.
3. Potential Savings and Challenges
According to Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation, cigarette butts compose about 62 % of all litter in Sweden. In Södertälje, the annual street-cleaning cost for removing these butts is significant. Günther-Hanssen estimates that using crows could reduce the cost of butt cleanup by up to 75 %.
However, the actual efficacy depends on how many crows participate, how motivated they remain, and whether the behavior is stable over time.
4. Ethics and Bird Health
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