Spring not only brings sunshine and warmer weather to Copenhagen, but also a special effort from the municipality to keep the city clean. The City of Copenhagen has invested over a million Danish kroner in so-called “good weather patrols” and distributing “pocket ashtrays” to the city’s smokers. These patrols, which are part of the municipality’s environmental efforts, patrol the city’s parks and other public places where people enjoy the good weather. Their task is to distribute pocket ashtrays to smokers so they can avoid throwing their cigarette butts on the ground. The initiative aims to reduce the amount of cigarette litter in the city environment, which benefits both the environment and the city’s general cleanliness.
According to information obtained by B.T., the municipality has spent a total of 1,260,896 kroner on these initiatives. Of this amount, 461,850 kroner has gone towards the operation of the good weather patrols, while 799,046 kroner has been used to purchase pocket ashtrays. However, the initiative has not only received praise.
Finn Rudaizky, a member of the City Council for the Danish People’s Party, criticizes the use of taxpayer money for these measures. He believes that the money could have been better spent on other areas, such as more parking spaces for disabled individuals. On the other hand, Technical and Environmental Mayor Line Barfod (The Red-Green Alliance) defends the expenses. She points out that even though it costs to keep the city clean, it is an important investment to ensure a cleaner and more attractive city for both residents and visitors.
She adds that many residents are happy with both the pocket ashtrays and the good weather patrols, even though there has not yet been an evaluation of their effectiveness. The pocket ashtrays, which are small plastic pouches, have been distributed since 2015, and the good weather patrols have been active since 2017. In addition to the patrols, the pocket ashtrays are also distributed at around 300 cafes around the city.
The debate about whether this is a good use of the municipality’s funds continues, but for now, both the pocket ashtrays and the good weather patrols are a regular feature of the summer in Copenhagen.