FOR THE BIRDS!

Swedes Come Up With Insanely Ingenious Way to Fight Litter

The city of Södertälje is crowing about the new project.

Little meatballs, fish-shaped candy, and Ikea—what will the Swedes think of next? Apparently it’s turning crows into cleaners. The Guardian reports that the city of Södertälje is testing a pilot program in which Caledonian crows will be deployed to pick up cigarette butts from public places and deposit them in a machine that rewards them with a bit of food. Proponents say the scheme, if it works, could save money because humans would no longer be needed to pick up the litter. The owner of the company that came up with the idea, Corvid Cleaning, made clear the birds are not indentured servants. “They are wild birds taking part on a voluntary basis,” he said.