Pocket ashtrays, receptacles reduce cigarette litter but butts still 'everywhere,' says clean-up group

It's been a few years since officials at a local environmental organization have been distributing a portable ashtray that smokers can keep in their pockets to help prevent cigarette litter in northwestern Ontario.

Around 2013, EcoSuperior developed a program to freely distribute pocket ashtrays to smokers in the region, with the hope they would change people's habit of throwing their cigarette butts out onto the streets.

"It is part of our litter prevention program, funded by the City of Thunder Bay's Clean, Green and Beautiful committee," project supervisor Shannon Costigan told CBC News. "Cigarette litter is always the number-one reported littered item as part of our spring clean up program with the city of Thunder Bay as well as shoreline cleanups all across the country."

Seeing 'some success' in preventing cigarette litter

Despite litter prevention programs like pocket ashtrays, Costigan said the problem of cigarette litter will never be eradicated on its own as it requires a "behavioural shift [and] a lot more infrastructure in our city."

That's why officials at EcoSuperior decided to not only to distribute pocket ashtrays for free, but also install more receptacles in high-traffic areas around Thunder Bay; Costigan added they've received funding for this over the past two years.

"So we've installed over 40 units in the entertainment and waterfront district," she said, adding that the organization has been able to measure "some success" with that program, as they've been able to "track how many cigarette butts are being collected out of those receptacles."

In the last two years, since the installation of more receptacles in the city, Costigan said there has been a reduction in litter.

"After the installation, compared to beforehand, we a saw 57 per cent reduction ... which is quite significant," she explained.

However, despite the reduction, residents are still seeing cigarette butts littered on the streets and many are still unaware of a program like the pocket ashtrays.

'They are everywhere'

Ashlee Burton, who took over the Green Dream Team in 2018, organizes two volunteer clean-ups per week in Thunder Bay through a Facebook group.

"Our focus is lower-income areas and high risk areas ... places like outside the Thunder Bay Museum, behind the Thunder Centre," Burton explained.

The Green Dream Team tries to collect garbage, needles and anything else in order to keep our city safe for children, as well as those who walk and bike around the city.

According to Burton, cigarette butt litter is just something they see all the time, no matter where they go.

"If when we did a clean up, we picked up butts, it would take like an entire day," Burton added. "It is absolutely nuts, they are everywhere."

'Super frustrating'

Burton said the team picks up pocket ashtrays from EcoSuperior to distribute during their clean-up events, but has "never seen anybody use one."

"It's very frustrating because it's so toxic," she said, adding that she feels like you "need a giant shop vac" to "drive around the city to get them all."

She's also seen the dangers of cigarette butt litter during her clean ups as well.

"In behind the Landmark, if you go down the trail and walk about five minutes deep into the bushes, you would find camps out there and there's tons of cigarette butts in fire pits and you can see where trees have caught fire," Burton said. "There's trees that have visibly been burned back there."

While pocket ashtrays are easy and handy to use, Burton believes many smokers don't feel like their cigarette butt litter could do much damage.

"They are also in playgrounds and that's super frustrating."