Premiere of Sweden’s first “garbage choir” in Uppsala

Citizens and visitors could for the first time listen to a garbage choir during the famous celebration of Walpurgis in the University City of Uppsala. The choir consists of 20 so called smart dust bins run by solar energy. Uppsala and Sweden are known for their many choirs.

Maria Gardfjell (MP), chairman of the responsible municipal board had the honor of introducing the choir and informing the audience about other commitments to diminish littering.

– Fundamentally, it is an issue of changing attitudes and to encourage all of us to put our litter where it belongs, in a dust bin.

In this unexpected and humoristic way the municipality makes it easier for people to throw the garbage in the colorful and easy recognizable dust bins. The aim is to create a positive circle where you take responsibility for your own garbage and to spread this behavior.

– The annual cost of cleaning up the litter on Walpurgis is 1 million kronor. Combined with the annual cost to keep the city litter free it is a lot of money that could be used for other things such as schools and health care, says Maria Gardfjell.

The smart dust bins are run by solar cells and reuse their energy to compress the garbage. The compressing in itself means the bins can be emptied less frequently than traditional dust bins. Since the bins are a comprised system, they do not attract vermin as rats and wasps.

Since Uppsala introduced smart dust bins in 2013, the visible litter in the City Park and other main parks has decreased by 20 percent. The work environment for the sanitary workers has improved and the usage of plastic bags has decreased by 80 percent.

The choir consists of 20 bins and the members are individual. On the back side of the bins, you can read about them and their favorite trash. After Walpurgis they will be moved to a variety of parks and public places in Uppsala, but will sing together at larger events.

Information:
Maria Gardfjell (MP), chairman of the board for streets and social environment
Telephone: +46 (18)-727 16 81

Pär Blom, project manager
Telephone:076-140 09 30

Press contact:
Maria Hasselgren, PR strategist
Telephone: 018-727 65 27

Originally Published by City of Uppsala, Sweden

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