Oslo takes unique approach to stop residents from blocking drains

No matter how common sense an issue may be, we all need reminders sometimes. Recently, city officials have made it clear the notoriously clean Norwegian city of Oslo desperately needs a sanitation reminder. In case some Oslo residents somehow forget what’s kosher to flush down the toilet, they won’t have to look too far for an eye-catching reminder.

More than 40 Oslo manhole covers have been adorned with hot-pink stickers with the words “Baesj, Tiss, Dopapir,” or “Poo, Pee, Toilet paper,” to inform people what should go down toilets.

The brightly colored stickers were designed by Nucleus, an Oslo-based agency. Oslo Water and Sewage Authority Senior Engineer Vivi Paulsen explained the bold use of hot pink by saying “…we thought it was the best way to get people’s attention. It’s to teach people what they should not throw into the toilet.”

via http://www.mnn.com

The sticker movement is a part of a larger rodent-themed campaign targeting sewer-blocked issues. The stickers were added to manhole covers throughout heavily trafficked areas of Oslo.

The stickers feature QR codes that are directed to city’s sewage campaign page. Smaller text on the stickers explains the harm caused by flushing items such as Q-tips, food, coffee grounds, feminine hygiene products, and even pet goldfish, namely inviting rats into residents’ homes.

In addition to opening residents’ eyes to their nasty habits, the city turned the sticker initiative into an interactive contest. Passersby who Instagram the pink manhole stickers with the hashtag #dovett, the name of the campaign, are eligible to win a sophisticated, mega-sized trash receptacle (seriously, it’s 8 feet tall and weighs nearly a ton!) that’s bound to be large enough to hold all their non-flushable items.

The attention-grabbing campaign comes not long after the London sewer system dealt with its “fatberg” situation, a 15-ton ball of solidified grease and oil that threatened to flood the borough of Kingston with sewage.

Tags: manholes, Oslo, stickers