Cigarette ends are commonly discarded on the floor - and they've
become a big litter problem. But we're encouraging people to do
something about it by giving away pocket ashtrays. The small mobile
ashtrays store the used ends in the pouches to put into a bin, so
smokers don't have to throw their butts on the floor.
What are cigarette pouches?
Cigarette pouches are like pocket ashtrays - they're a practical
solution to disposing of cigarette ends. They are reusable,
discreet and provide a solution for litter when you're not near a
litter bin.
They're small enough to fit in your pocket to be carried around
anywhere and have also been made to ensure that no heat or odour
can escape.
How to get your free cigarette pouch
- Online using the
Cigarette Pouch online form
- From the Customer Service Points at 52 Derby Street, Ormskirk
and in the Concourse, Skelmersdale
These cigarette pouches are free, but are only available
to West Lancashire residents and are limited to two
pouches per household.
Cigarette litter facts
Cigarette ends are difficult to clean up, as the small filters
fall into grates and cracks in the pavement, avoiding detection by
normal cleaning processes. The filters are also made of a plastic
that can take a long time to break down and be absorbed back into
the environment. Here are some other facts:
- 120 tonnes of cigarette litter is dropped in the UK every
day.
- In the UK, cigarette butts account for around 40 per cent of
litter, in the rest of the world, they account for around 50 per
cent of all litter.
- A cigarette butt contains up to 4,000 chemicals including
hydrogen, cyanide and arsenic.
- Cigarette filters can take up to 12 years to degrade.
- It takes one second to drop a cigarette butt. If it took the
same time to pick it up again, it would take one person (working
eight hours a day) nearly 20 years to collect the estimated 200
million cigarette butts that are thrown away in the UK each
day.