Friends,
Does anyone have any experience with providing small disposable foil packets (approximately 2 inches by 3 inches) to smokers as an alternative to littering their cigarette butts? Will smokers actually use them? Do they actually use them if provided? For those of you who are not familiar with them, they are small foil pouches that will hold one or two cigarette butts. The smoker is supposed to use them to store the cigarette butts safely until they find a garbage can. (This addresses the, "I don't want to put a smoking cigarette butt in my pocket or purse" excuse). Also looking for a potential source of these packets so we can conduct a pilot project. Several years ago we received several thousand for free from one of the tobacco companies, but that program has been discontinued. We have found several rigid plastic versions doing a general on-line search, but we are specifically looking for foil, since it can easily be slipped into an envelope and mailed to someone. Please do not direct me to the Keep America Beautiful Cigarette Litter Prevention Program - we have already been in contact with them.
Thank you.
Megan Warfield
Litter Programs Coordinator
Washington Dept. of Ecology
(360) 407-6963
[email protected]
Cigarette Butt Littering
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Hi,
It seems to me that, in keeping with the principles of FSB, the foil packets would be much more effective if you provided a durable holder that could contain both the cigarette pack and a reasonably large supply of the foil packets. FSB principles would also indicate that it should be extremely simple and free to get more packets for free -- possibly by making a toll-free call and/or visiting a web site. Another approach would be to make the butt receptacle itself durable rather than disposable (perhaps something like an Altoids tin, but smaller). This way neither your agency nor the smokers would not have to worry about re-supply issues. This kind of container could also be made part of an attractive cigarette case so that it would always be close at hand for the smoker. What I have in mind would look sort of like the product shown at http://store.bobken.com/bobken/images/products/tote-a-smoke%20enlarged.jpg but less bulky and more stylish.
Best Regards,
Bruce Karney
[email protected]
+1 650 450-0332 (mobile)
+1 650 964-3567 (home office)
+1 650 903-0954 (fax)
833 Bush St., Mountain View, CA 94041 USA
Dear Megan,
I would direct you to our website: www.buttlitteringtrust.org . The use of personal/pocket ashtrays has been an important component of many of the projects delivered by our project partners. In the 'Case Studies' section of the website, you can access project reports to get an understanding on how personal/pocket ashtrays were used in different contexts. In the 'Butt Litter Bins' section, we list a number of suppliers of different personal/pocket ashtrays.
Regards
Shauna Coffey
Executive Officer
Butt Littering Trust
ph 02 8907 8216
fax 02 8907 9001
mobile 0410 227 031
Locked Bag 6503 North
Sydney, NSW, 2060
www.buttlitteringtrust.org
my apologises Megan for referring you to KAB- see you already did.
Hi there- visit Keep America Beautiful's website- they have a program on this issue and can answer some of your questions and may be able assist as well. www.kab.org
Kelly Heisz
St.John's Clean and Beautiful
St.John's, Newfoundland, Canada
709-570-0350
www.cleanandbeautiful.nf.ca
Hi Megan - sorry I have been off for a while and was just going through my emails and came across your interest in foil ashtrays. A couple years ago the City of Windsor's Clean City Committee received free foil ashtrays to distribute with "Smokers for a Clean America" stamped on them. When we went to distribute the foil ashtrays there was little or no interest at all in people taking them, let alone, using them. With the province of Ontario going smoke-free in June 2006 we decided we needed to find something smokers would be interested in. We handed out litterbags for people with vehicles, so we needed to find a similar way to address smokers. After much research we came across numerous portable ashtrays and had some in-house smokers test the units. The one the smokers and our committee liked the best was from Australia at http://www.buttsout.net/ - we launched the campaign prior to the province's smoke-free enactment taking effect. The campaign has been very successful in addressing the specific issues of smokers, as well as bringing to light the problem of littered butts. When you deal with litter as your job, you are more aware of the problems that exist. Many did not see littered butts as a problem until our campaign pointed it out. Many businesses complained about the butt problem after the smokers were put outdoors. We find the cost of mailing out a batch of ashtrays worth the price if the smokers use them. You can look at ordering the buttsout containers from http://ecolad.com/ecom.asp. If you have any other questions feel free to contact me at:
Janice Hilary
Dama Environmental Public Relations Program Coordinator
City of Windsor - Clean City Committee
Environmental Services Division
3540 North Service Road East
Windsor, ON N8W 5X2
(519) 974-1010 ext 231
fax: (519) 944-3161
[email protected]