An eye-catching art installation, containing rows of toilet seats, opened outside Helsinki's Oodi library on Wednesday.
The work was commissioned by the Helsinki Region Environmental Services (HSY), a municipal authority that provides water and waste management services in the capital.
The campaign aims to make people aware of the objects that end up in the Baltic Sea via the city's sewage system.
"We want to draw people's attention to the fact that various substances accumulate in wastewater from ordinary everyday items: clothes, cosmetics, detergents and medicines," HSY's Environmental Expert Elina Tanner explained.
Although the wastewater is purified at the treatment plants, not all substances that are potentially harmful to marine life can be removed. Many dangerous toxins and other items eventually end up in the Baltic Sea, Tanner said.
She further noted that the problems persist due to a lack of awareness, or indifference, among people to the things that end up being flushed down toilets.
For example, the drug diclofenac — which is used in gels that help treat pain — is very harmful to aquatic animals.
A display case inside the library showcases items that have been retrieved from the city's water treatment plants. Some of the most common objects that end up in the sewage system via the toilet are children's toys.
The campaign is entitled Pytyllä on asiaa in Finnish, and while it directly translates into English as 'the toilet has a purpose', it could also be interpreted as a play on the term 'nature is calling'.
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