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".
Related Businesses
Related Articles
Members have considered an update on the Council's medium term financial plan and the impact of the UK and Scottish Governments’ budgets on the coming year’s funding settlement. The position is currently looking more positive than initially planned for, however more detail needs to be worked through.
In November, The Highland Council launched a public statutory consultation to seek views on the proposed introduction of a Visitor Levy scheme across the Highlands. The Council has announced an extension to this consultation period, which will now give businesses, visitors and communities until 31 March 2025, an additional seven weeks, to take part and have their say.
In the light of the financial forecast for 2025-26, Highland Council is inviting you to tell us more in the budget preparation for the coming financial year. The budget engagement builds on extensive budget participation which took place in the winter of 2023-24.
The information provided is a summary of reports from operational staff and is intended to give a general indication of typical conditions in each area at a point in time. It is not intended to imply that any individual route is entirely snow and ice free and drivers must be aware that conditions can change rapidly and make their own assessment of conditions for travelling.
Every year Highland Council invites all tenants to have their say on the rent levels for the following year. The Council encourages everyone that lives in a council house to take this chance to have their say.
Communities and Place Committee met yesterday (Wednesday 27 November 2024) and Members agreed the Highland Local Child Poverty Action Report which includes actions for delivery in 2024/25. Reducing child poverty is a priority for the Council and its partners.
The information provided is a summary of reports from operational staff and is intended to give a general indication of typical conditions in each area at a point in time. It is not intended to imply that any individual route is entirely snow and ice free and drivers must be aware that conditions can change rapidly and make their own assessment of conditions for travelling.
Members of the Highland Council's Community and Place Committee have given their support to an action plan focusing on the operating of public conveniences over the next 10 years. Whilst not a statutory function, the Council is the main provider of public conveniences located throughout Highland, operating 74 sites.
A report published on 27 November 2024 by LGIU (Local Government Information Unit) looks at the state of funding for councils by the Scottish Government. Confidence in the sustainability of council finances is critically low.
At today's (Wednesday 27 November 2024) Communities & Place Committee, Members agreed the most appropriate long-term strategic direction for residual waste management is to continue to utilise a merchant provider solution. Communities & Place Committee Chair, Cllr Graham MacKenzie said: "After careful consideration and analysis it has been agreed that a merchant provider solution is considered the most appropriate long term solution to our statutory waste management obligations, and that an energy-from- waste facility within the Highlands is not considered to be a suitable course of action.
