Littering in popular Swedish mountain areas like Kebnekaise and Grövelsjön has decreased by over 70% in the past four years, thanks to fewer visitors post-pandemic and an increase in environmentally conscious tourists from countries like the Netherlands and Germany.
Dramatic Reduction in Littering in Swedish Mountains
Dramatic Reduction in Littering in Swedish Mountains
Littering in areas around Kebnekaise, Grövelsjön, Helags, and Sylarna has decreased by over 70% in the past four years, reports SVT Västerbotten.
The foundation Keep Sweden Tidy, in collaboration with the Swedish Tourist Association, has been measuring littering since 2020.
One reason for the reduction is the decrease in visitors since the pandemic years.
Andreas Karlsson, manager at the nature center in Hemavan, notes that littering is also decreasing in the Vindelfjällen area and points to an increase in foreign tourists.
"We have many more visitors from the Netherlands and Germany, and they are more accustomed to not having the large spaces we have in Sweden, so they take their trash with them," he tells the channel.
The most common litter in the mountains is snus, which accounted for about a third of the waste.