- Campaign targets smokers who litter
- Community urged to dob in those who don’t Bin their Butts
Keep Australia Beautiful Council’s Chairman Michael Aspinall today launched the State’s latest anti-cigarette butt litter campaign – Bin your butt.
Environment Minister Stephen Dawson had called for the campaign in response to last year’s National Litter Index (NLI) statistics which showed almost a third of all litter found in Western Australia was cigarette butts and packaging.
Western Australia's cigarette butt litter had also increased by 21.7 per cent from the previous year – accounting for 3,376 of the 9,550 litter items counted.
Under the Litter Act 1979, anyone incorrectly disposing of a cigarette butt can be fined $200. This includes flicking cigarettes from a vehicle and stubbing out and leaving butts in public areas such as footpaths, roads and gutters.
If the butt was still lit when dropped, it can lead to a $500 fine.
As well as a fire risk, cigarette butts are made from non-biodegradable plastic which can take up to 15 years to break down. Butts washed into stormwater drains and waterways leach toxic chemicals such as cadmium, lead and zinc.
Cigarette butts are commonly mistaken for food by marine life and have been found in the stomachs of fish, birds, sea turtles and other marine creatures.
KABC’s Litter Reporter Scheme recently registered its 15,000th reporter and has already issued 2,295 litter infringements this year.
Sign up to become a today and download the smart phone to easily and safely report littering from vehicles.
Comments attributed to KABC Chairman Michael Aspinall:
“Our new Bin your butt campaign aims to remind smokers that if they are not disposing of their butts correctly, they are in fact littering and committing an offence under the Litter Act.
“We really need the community’s help to make a difference and to protect our environment.
"If you are a smoker, please dispose of your cigarette butts responsibly into waste bins.
"I also urge people to register to become a KABC litter reporter today to help protect our environment for future generations.”
