No butts about it, Bettystown is looking tidier
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Clean Coasts are launching a campaign asking people to dispose of their smoking related litter correctly to protect our environment and marine life. In the picture: Clean Coasts Officer Olivia Jones and Keep Our Beaches Clean volunteer Mairead Staunton.Image 2 of 3
Bettystown Tidy Towns decided to use the Clean Coasts grant to purchase cigarette butt bins after feedback from our volunteers, who were regularly litter picking around the village and reported cigarette butts as the most common litter item.Image 3 of 3
In Ireland, cigarette butts are the most common item found on Ireland’s beaches and they account to for almost 50% of all discarded waste in the country.Bettystown has seen a decrease in smoking related litter following the installation of cigarette bins in popular spots around the town according to Clean Coasts, an organisation that supports community initiatives in coastal towns.
The seaside town has been leading the way in tackling the problem with Bettystown Tidy Towns availing of the Clean Coasts grants scheme and promoting the campaign through social media.
Bettystown Tidy Towns is working to create awareness locally about smoking related litter taking part in pilot projects including the installation of cigarette bins and informational stickers in key spots in their local area.
Kirsty MacKenzie, a member of Bettystown Tidy Towns commented: “Bettystown Tidy Towns made the decision to use the Clean Coasts grant to purchase cigarette butt bins after feedback from our volunteers. We regularly litter pick around the village and cigarette butts are one of the most commonly reported litter item that we find.
“There are several streams running through Bettystown and we are very conscious of trying to stop litter of all kinds from reaching the sea.
"We decided to install cigarette butt bins at specific points around the village where our volunteers have reported significant issues with cigarette litter. We are pleased to say that we have seen a reduction in cigarette litter in the village since the installation of the bins and we will continue to promote their use.”
With Ireland’s bathing season underway, Clean Coasts are launching a campaign asking people to dispose of their smoking related litter correctly to protect our environment and marine life.
"For the past several years, cigarette butts have been the top litter item found on Irish beaches during the Big Beach Clean, our end of bathing season call to action sponsored by Irish business Cully and Sully.
"Cigarette filters are made of a plastic called cellulose acetate, which does not biodegrade and can remain in the environment for very long periods of time in the form of microplastics.
“Globally littered cigarette butts amount to an estimated 0.3 million tons of microfibers released per year.
"When ingested, the hazardous chemicals in microplastics cause long-term mortality in marine life, including birds, fish, mammals, plants and reptiles."
In addition to cigarette butts, volunteers hosting clean-ups have noticed that incorrectly discarded vapes are also increasing according to a Clean Coasts spokesperson who said: "Vapes are made of materials such as plastic, rubber and metal that don’t break down naturally, and 1.3 million single-use vapes are thrown away every week."