Finnish trash cans talk back

by Tom Johansmeyer on

This summer, the garbage cans of Helsinki will have something to say … to you … in six languages. The strange people who brought you wife-carrying contests and team berry-picking (you just can’t make this stuff up) are happy to present the talking trash receptacle – which comes with a musical “thank you.” Nowhere else in the world is litter discouraged with such positive reinforcement. Maybe that’s why I didn’t see much trash on the ground when I was over there.

Last year at this time, Helsinki put four of these devices in the center of the city. They were so unbelievably successful that the Finns have doubled tripled down on the concept. Look for eight more of these contraptions in the Finnish capital this year. Simo Frangén, a popular Finnish TV personality, was kind enough to give his voice to the cause. The new trash cans will be located near Esplanadi, Senate Square, Sibelius Monument and Temppeliaukio Church.

These crazy devices will speak Finnish, Swedish, Japanese, English, German, Polish, and Russian.Also, some will provide fun musical sounds created by high school students from the Kruununhaka district of Helsinki as part of the Helsinki City Public Works youth campaign.”

Bill Bryson Takes on Rubbish

by Kelly Amabile on

The Times Online published a lengthy piece about Bill Bryson’s crusade against fly-tipping (what the Brits call littering) now that he is officially the new president of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE). The longtime UK resident has decided to do his part to raise awareness about rubbish issues in his adopted homeland, although he didn’t exactly set out to take on this position.

Bryson’s still under contract to write two more travel books, but that won’t stop him from rising to the challenge that seemed unavoidable after he asked his readers to email him if they were concerned about litter. He got about 1,000 responses and made a conscious decision to get involved with CPRE as a result. Does this mean future travel writing from Mr. Bryson will be green and litter-free? We shall have to wait and see…

As he explains in the interview: “I’m not doing this because I’m American and think I can tell you how to run your country,” he says. “I’m doing this because I’m a long-term resident and I’ve seen all this happening over a very long time. I would rather not be doing this at all; I’d much rather be at home gardening.”