Butts in the bin

BUTT out, litterbugs. You’re not welcome here.
That is Cardinia Shire Council’s new message to smokers throughout the region.
The shire has installed a dozen new cigarette butt bins across litter hotspots Cockatoo, Gembrook, Emerald, Lang Lang, Kooweerup and Pakenham. They complement existing bins installed last year as part of a council trial.
Lee Fuller from Emerald community action group Emerald For Sustainability (EmFSus) consulted with the shire on where bins should be placed throughout the town. They agreed on Emerald’s two most commonly used bus stops.
Ms Fuller said: “We did a litter audit and in and around one bus shelter we found 75 butts within three square metres.”
Ms Fuller said litter, generally, was a problem throughout the Ranges Ward but the failure of smokers to ‘butt out’ showed a real lack of responsibility. “Smokers can have portable butt bins,” she said.
“They don’t need to just drop their cigarettes.”
The new butt bins, known as ‘EnviroPoles’, can hold up to 2500 cigarettes. Liquid inside the poles extinguishes cigarette butts, eliminating any potential fire hazard.
Cardinia Shire Mayor Ed Chatwin praised the shire-wide initiative, saying: “Cigarette butts are the most commonly littered item in the shire.
“Smokers must do their bit to help maintain a clean and safe environment.
“I would like to thank the many volunteers who gave up their time to help council with this project.”
Cardinia Shire residents caught littering with cigarette butts risk a $244 on-the-spot fine, either by compliance officers or the police.
For more information, contact the council’s waste team on 1300 787 624.