Bin your butts campaign proves a success in Inverness

11th September 2012

A Highland Council campaign aimed at reducing smoking related litter on the streets of Inverness has seen a 25% reduction in litter with smokers helping out and 'Binning their butts'.

The Highland Council ran a week long campaign which saw Officers out and about in the Inverness City centre speaking to smokers and raising awareness of the problems of tackling cigarette litter. They gave away free portable ashtrays to encourage smokers to not drop butts on the ground where perhaps there is no bin and offered free car stickers to spread the word throughout the Highland area.

Various premises whose customers are most likely to offend were also visited and many signed up to the voluntary litter control notice. By signing up to the notice, businesses have agreed to arrange to have the immediate area outside their premises cleaned of all litter identified as coming from their premises each evening after closing.

Councillor Bet McAllister, The Highland Council's Vice Chairman of Transport Environmental and Community Services, said: "To see any reduction in the amount of litter thrown down on our streets is great, but a quarter reduction in cigarette butt litter is fantastic. I would like to thank everyone involved including the smokers who binned their butts and would encourage everyone to keep up the good work and keep out city clean."

Smoking related litter affects a number of streets throughout the Highlands, butts become trapped between paving stones and are washed into drains and cause blockages and flooding; they leak toxins that contaminate water and harm marine life. Many smokers believe butts are biodegradable, however due to their plastic content experts believe they could take 10-12 years to degrade.

The targeted week long campaign has seen up to 25% decrease in the amount of smoking related litter and it is hoped this success will continue.

Anyone caught dropping cigarette litter can be issued with a £50 fixed penalty notice which must be paid within 14 days with any unpaid fines will be reported to the Procurator Fiscal.

Derek Robertson, Chief Executive of Scotland's leading charity for the environment, Keep Scotland Beautiful, said:

"This campaign has demonstrated that Highland Council is committed to tackling smoking-related littering, and the results of their hard work are to be commended. It is clear that smoking-related littering is still a big problem across Scotland but, by continuing to educate people, provide better services and carry out enforcement when necessary, we are united in our approach to make our communities, cleaner, greener and more sustainable".