Hans Forsberg trained the neighborhood magpies to recycle bottle caps in exchange for food using a machine he built from scratch.
More: Hans Forsberg
Magpies are pretty smart as birds go—so smart in fact that they now set an example with recycling trash
Computer scientist Hans Forsberg built a machine that dispenses food in exchange for bottle caps
Whenever a magpie drops a bottle cap into the designated hole, it gets a treat from the dispenser
Over several years, he taught the neighborhood magpies to recycle bottle caps littered around the neighborhood
The adult magpies are cautious, but the young ones are keen on keeping the environment clean
In the future, he hopes to teach them to pick up other kinds of trash, like cigarette butts
