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Waste management
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Cigarette butt litter is a growing problem in Australia, particularly since the banning of smoking in office buildings, and more recently in pubs and clubs. Australians litter more than seven billion butts each year, with the Keep Australia Beautiful National Litter Index showing that cigarette butts make up a staggering 49% of litter.
Cigarette butts are harmful to our environment and can take years to break down. They can leach toxic chemicals such as cadmium, lead and zinc into water within one hour of contact and can be carried by stormwater into our rivers and bays, potentially harming our marine life.
In November 2006 the Environment Protection and Heritage Council agreed to a national day of action during which cigarette butt litterers across Australia would be fined.
'Small Butt, Big Impact' - a National Day of Action on cigarette butt litter, involves governments working together to raise public awareness of the serious environmental impact of discarding cigarette butts thoughtlessly and to alert potential litterers to the fact that littering is also against the law. The National Day of Action will be held in late March 2007 with councils from every state and territory participating on the day
An information kit is available to help councils participate on the day. Many of the kit materials can be downloaded directly.