Addressing Cigarette Butt Litter in Miami Beach

• Cigarette butts are the most frequently littered item

• Cigarette butts create the impression that Miami Beach is a dirty city, and that it is OK to litter

• Butts leach toxins when wet, contaminating our beaches and waters

• Cigarette filters have been found in the stomachs of fish, birds, whales and other marine creatures who mistake them for food

ECOMB Beach Cleanup – 2008 – South Beach

Significant cigarette butt litter on Miami Beach

Miami Beach Bus Station - 20th and Indian Creek

615 Cigarette Butts and 13 Cigarillo tips picked up in 10 minutes

• 65% of cigarette butts are littered• 4.95 trillion cigarette butts are disposed of in our

environment annually – the most frequently littered item

• Litter clean up costs the U.S. over $11 billion annually• Composed of cellulose acetate, a form of plastic,

cigarette butts can take up to 25 years to decompose

http://preventcigarettelitter.org/files/downloads/researchfindings.pdf

Some General Facts

Understanding the Problem Awareness and Culture

• Smokers don’t believe littering their cigarette butts is inappropriate – many think they are paper / cotton

• Some believe they’re acting responsibly by dropping cigarettes to the ground and stepping on them, or in storm drains, as a safe way to extinguish a cigarette.

• A survey of over 1,000 smokers found that 35% toss five or more cigarette butts per pack on the ground

• Smokers are more likely to litter if the environment contains any type of litter, not just cigarette butts. More littered environments encourage more littering.

http://preventcigarettelitter.org/files/downloads/researchfindings.pdf

Understanding the ProblemLack of Proper Receptacles

• Only 10% of cigarette butts are properly deposited in trash can receptacles—the least likely item to be placed in a receptacle

• Only 14% of current smokers report owning a pocket ashtray, and 28.1% report that they do not have a receptacle for cigarette butts in their car

• Smokers Blame their littering on a lack of well-placed bins for cigarette butts. • Over 80% of smokers said they would properly dispose of their

butts if suitable bins were available.• 41.8% report that they do not have receptacles for cigarette

butts at their work location.

http://preventcigarettelitter.org/files/downloads/researchfindings.pdf

Where does cigarette Litter happen?

• Most cigarette and cigar tip littering happens at “transition points”. These are areas where a smoker must extinguish a cigarette or cigar before proceeding, such as outside retail stores, hotels, office buildings, before entering beaches, parks or other recreation areas, and at roadside rest areas, parking lots, bus shelters, and train platforms. – Medical/hospital sites have the highest littering rates – Next is recreation areas, bars/restaurants– Third highest are retail locations and city centers.

Effective Solutions• These research findings indicate that the most

effective ways to address cigarette butt litter are:– Increasing the availability of ash receptacles and

portable ashtray. (For every additional ash receptacle, the littering rate for cigarette butts decreases by 9%)

– Decreasing the amount of existing litter through clean-up activities

– Educating the public with motivational messages that target individual responsibility and obligation at transition points are an important catalyst for changing behavior

http://preventcigarettelitter.org/files/downloads/researchfindings.pdf

Pole Mounted Ashcans(courtesy Surfrider Huntington Beach)

Great design placed where people smoke

• These attractive ashcans are affixed above the ground, at eye-level in high foot-traffic and ‘transitional’ locations.

• Ashcans have reduced cigarette butt litter and improved the quality of business districts for residents and visitors.

• These durable outdoor receptacles provide measureable results of cleaner and healthier surroundings and environment.

(courtesy Surfrider Huntington Beach)

Customize graphics and messaging on the noticeable sticker allows education

(courtesy Surfrider Huntington Beach)

Community/Business Ashcan Sponsorship$100 each to be installed in front of their business

(courtesy Surfrider Huntington Beach)

TerraCycle’s “Cigarette Waste Brigade” funds maintenance of the program

For every pound of cigarette waste collected, Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company, the sponsor of TerraCycle “Cigarette Waste Brigade”, donates

funds to non-profits for ongoing maintenance and campaigns (no Tobacco Company messaging is required).

The collected material is recycled into a variety of industrial products, such as plastic pallets, and any remaining tobacco is recycled as compost

Case Studies - 2 California Beach Towns

Since 2004, the Hold On To Your Butt campaign by San Diego County Chapter

of Surfrider has installed about 160ashcans with a 65% reduction in

cigarette butt litter in those areas.

Huntington Beach Chapter of Surfrider

collected and recycled 500,000 butts in 4 years

Proposal

• City of Miami Beach to installs ___ number of ashcans in public spaces such as bus stops and park entrances. $100/unit

• VolunteerCleanup.Org will sell sponsored ashcans to local businesses (bars, hotels, restaurants, etc.) to install in front of their business. $100/unit

• Maintenance of all units handled by either City (if landfill) or VolunteerCleanup.Org (if recycled)

Where should we place them?City Paid For- Bus stops- Corners- Beach Entrances- Boardwalks- Pier- Park Entrances / Parklets

Business Paid For - Bars- Clubs- Restaurants- Grocery Stores- Hotels / Hostels

ActionAshcans- Ask City to get on board and support- Approval and guidelines for messaging on cans- Approval and guidelines for mounting of cans- Allow VolunteerCleanup.Org to sell, install, and

maintain privately sponsored ashcans

Other Proposals- - -