Sweden's Smart Device Trains Crows to Collect Urban Trash for Food

Sweden's innovative device that trains crows to collect urban trash has captured fresh attention through viral social media videos, prompting renewed interest in the unusual urban clean-up method.

The system, developed by a Swedish startup, rewards the birds with food for depositing litter, especially cigarette butts that dominate street waste. Yet inquiries reveal the much-hyped pilot never advanced into full operation.

A Clever Partnership with Nature

The machine operates on a simple but effective principle. Crows learn to pick up small pieces of litter from public areas and drop them into a specially designed slot. Once the device – equipped with sensors and cameras – verifies the item, it dispenses a small food reward, reinforcing the behaviour. This creates a positive feedback loop that motivates the birds to repeat the task across streets and parks.

Training relies on the crows' high intelligence. A few initial birds master the process, then others follow by observation, spreading the skill rapidly within flocks. The birds are wild and join in voluntarily, with designers emphasising no force is used. Early experiments demonstrated quick uptake, with the corvids avoiding non-target waste thanks to the machine's recognition technology.

Supporters pointed to corvids' problem-solving prowess, equivalent to that of a young child, making them uniquely suited for such environmental roles. The approach aimed to ease the burden on municipal cleaners while providing a novel solution to persistent litter issues.

How the Smart Device Trains Crows to Collect Urban Trash

The project was unveiled in Södertälje, a city near Stockholm, during Science Week in 2022. Corvid Cleaning's founder Christian Günther-Hanssen presented the prototype as a cost-effective alternative for tackling litter. The municipality spends around 20 million Swedish kronor – equivalent to £1.6 million ($2.1 million) – each year on street cleaning, with cigarette butts accounting for 62 per cent of all litter found nationwide.

Günther-Hanssen suggested the crow method could slash costs dramatically. 'They are wild birds taking part on a voluntary basis,' he explained. Despite the promise, Södertälje officials confirmed no further collaboration occurred. The startup struggled, entering bankruptcy in October 2025 with negligible turnover and no remaining employees. Recent fact-checks have debunked claims of active city-wide use, attributing the buzz to misinterpretations of the original pilot coverage.

Social media has amplified the story nonetheless, with one verified Instagram account explaining 'Sweden, innovators have developed a smart machine that rewards crows for collecting litter. The system works by training the highly intelligent birds to drop small pieces of trash like cigarette butts into a device in exchange for food.'

Intelligence Meets Practicality

Crows were selected for their exceptional cognitive abilities and capacity to learn from peers, minimising training efforts and health risks from accidental ingestion of rubbish. The design included safeguards to monitor bird welfare, though questions remain about long-term exposure to contaminants like nicotine in butts.

This initiative highlighted an ironic contrast: efforts to educate people on littering often fall short, yet birds proved eager collaborators in tests. As viral posts continue circulating in 2026, the tale of Sweden's crow trash collectors underscores both the creativity of the concept and the challenges of turning prototypes into practice.

With the original company dissolved and no revival in sight, the smart device that trains crows to collect urban trash remains a compelling idea that continues to inspire discussions on sustainable urban solutions.