Campaign highlights cigarette litter problem

FILTHY HABIT: Celia Wade Brown says many people think stormwater goes into a treatment plant but instead it goes straight into the sea.

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Smokers who throw their cigarette butts onto the street are coming under the scrutiny of Wellington City Council.

Councillor Celia Wade Brown said she and Wellington City Council staff are working on an education campaign to raise awareness of where cigarette butts end up after being tossed into gutters.

Forest and Bird's marine advocate Kirstie Knowles said the butts go straight into the harbour.

"When it rains, the butts get washed down into the gutters, into the drains and down into the sea," she said. People know it's not okay to throw away crisp packets but smokers are doing the same thing throwing away their cigarette butts.

"They are actually a fibrous plastic. They may look soft and fluffy but they stay in the environment for many years."

During Sea Week earlier in the year, six volunteers collected 2000 cigarette butts from Oriental Bay in a couple of hours, "and that's a groomed beach" Ms Knowles said.

"There is not a lot of evidence yet about what happens to the butts in the sea whether they are eaten by marine animals or not for example. But we do know they stay in the marine environment for a long, long time."

She says not only do smokers need to get wise to the fact that cigarette butts are damaging the marine environment, but everyone needs to pull people up on it if they see someone tossing their butt away.

"If I see people doing it they get an ear-bashing."

Wellington City Council planning engineer Nicola Wood says the council have jurisdiction to fine people for throwing their cigarette butt onto the street. She understands the maximum penalty for throwing away a cigarette butt is $100.

"We are going to start rolling out 250 grates over the storm water drains with a motif of a fish on it, to draw people's attention to the fact that whatever goes down there goes straight out to sea." The council have also designed a fish-engraved medallion to go alongside the grates.

Ms Wood said rubbish bins around the city already have cigarette disposal sections on them, but many smokers don't consider cigarette butts to be litter.

In 2000, a Victoria University master's student researched the harbour floor near the overseas passenger terminal stormwater outfall and found 162 cigarette butts per square meter. Ms Wood believes this number will have increased markedly since then, owing to the Smoke-Free Environments Amendment Act which cast smokers outside.

Imperial Tobacco corporate affairs assistant Catherine Rawnsley said consumers had a responsibility to properly dispose of their cigarette butts. She said the company supported local initiates to reduce waste and change people's behaviour with littering.

"Our cigarette butts are biodegradable over a month to three years, depending on environmental conditions and we will continue to evaluate any developments in filter research that leads to a more rapid breakdown," she said. Ms Knowles said she is not aware of any hard evidence as to how long a butt takes to break down, and research varies from 12 months to 12 years, "depending on who is doing the research". Cigarette butts take longer to break down in sea water than in fresh water she said.

Ms Wade-Brown said the council has yet to decide who will fine people for littering.

"But's it's an easy fine to avoid," she said. "You just don't litter." She said she would welcome any cost-efficient suggestions from the public as to how they can make it a successful campaign.

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Paul   #8   08:34 pm Sep 11 2009

If I toss a cigarette butt on the street, how does it end up in the water? Please answer me at slouchypaul@yahoo.com

...   #7   10:34 am Aug 31 2009

haha funii

Merino   #6   11:21 am Aug 30 2009

Cigarette butts are not the only problem in Wellington city. The second hand smoke is really a pain in the ass. You walk down the streets of Wellington city, you will be breathing in second hand smoke almost every second. If you want to improve your city image, start by targeting the root of the problem. Educate our children to prevent them from being a smoker.

What I have just said is unfair to the smokers. But I am just voicing my opinion.

Adrian   #5   03:30 pm Aug 28 2009

Oh no! What will harbour do with all that extra biodegradable tissue paper and dried tobacco leaf?!?!

GB   #4   03:36 pm Aug 27 2009

I smoke because I enjoy it. I don't throw my cigarette butts in the street, just like I don't spit in the street or throw a coke can in the street. Litter is litter, it has nothing to do with whether you smoke or not. Some people just litter. So, stop generalising with sweeping statements like "if you smoke you don't really have much care about your own health, let alone care for the environment and other people". BS.

Chris Y   #3   11:39 am Aug 27 2009

Hmm.... obviously cigarette butts are a waste product from people who enjoy smoking.

Like most people I enjoy a beer, wine and good food, you don't see any of us (well almost) disposing our waste products from the products we enjoy on the streets. You can image the stink if most of us did that.

Can't you be arrested if you did get caught?

I guess if you smoke you don't really have much care about your own health, let alone care for the environment and other people.

Matt   #2   10:52 am Aug 27 2009

It's long overdue for anti-littering messages on the packaging. I know smokers don't give a damn for anyone but themselves and think nothing of trashing New Zealand, but maybe, just maybe, it'll make some difference. And a dob in webpage like there is for Police Watch for dobbing in out the car-window litterers would also be welcome.

It's either all that or a complete ban on smoking in public places. Actually a complete ban in public places is what we need.

g   #1   08:39 am Aug 27 2009

Every morning on the commute into the city i witness countles idiots throwing butts out their cars, this most certainly ends up in the Harbour.

Combine this with the mountain of discarded butts behind the office block i work and that most be thousands per day.

Offenders most certainly should be fined, as they do in Sydney.

Disgusting !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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