Dacorum Borough Council launches new cigarette butt anti-littering scheme

Dacorum Borough Council has launched a new scheme to stop people dumping cigarette butts.

The authority is introducing new ‘bucket bins’ in Hemel Hempstead High Street and Berkhamsted High Street to encourage smokers to bin their butts responsibly.

Keep Britain Tidy has funded the initiative that will see the bins put in place this month in areas where people often smoke.

Keep Britain Tidy research has found that smokers who discard cigarette litter often justify their actions by saying there aren’t enough bins to dispose of cigarettes correctly.

Dacorum Borough Council has identified outside pubs and nightclubs as some of the areas where dumping butts is most common.

In total, the charity is funding 20 colourful, galvanised steel bucket bins filled with sand.

Figures from the council state that 66 per cent of all litter is discarded butts. Dacorum Borough Council says clearing the butts up is a costly process.

Councillor Robin Bromham said: “It is great for Dacorum to be involved in this project with Keep Britain Tidy. We hope this will help to keep our borough clean and protect local wildlife from the risks associated with littered cigarette butts. This project is just one of the great environmental education initiatives that we are currently running.”

More information on Keep Britain Tidy’s campaign can be found online.

Keep Britain Tidy’s chief executive, Allison Ogden Newton, said: "We’re delighted that Dacorum Borough Council has demonstrated a real commitment to tackling cigarette litter, which is the most prolific type of litter in England, by working with us on this project.

“Our researchers believe that the bucket bins will be a simple but very effective disposal solution to reduce cigarette littering.

“They’re convenient and affordable. By putting a large number in a small area, we hope to show that offering an easy and convenient solution for smokers that allows them to do the right thing with their butts, we can create a cleaner environment for everyone.”

"Cigarette butts are made of plastic and do not biodegrade, so when you drop one on the ground it is no different to littering a water bottle, a crisp packet or any other item you wouldn't dream of dropping,” Keep Britain Tidy says.