A striking 3D drawing, depicting the devastating environmental damage brought on by cigarette-butt litter, has been launched by the Cape Town Central City Improvement District (CCID), under the banner ‘Bin Your Butt’.

The drawing on Thibault Square aims to raise awareness among smokers that grinding their cigarette butts out on the pavement is not only hazardous for the built environment but also impacts marine life when it gets washed into the ocean.

Manager of the CCID’s Urban Management Department Kally Benito says cigarette-butt litter is a huge concern in the Cape Town city centre.

“The CCID collects over 2 000 kg in ciggie butts every year in the Cape Town CBD – the average size of an adult Black rhinoceros – and this presents a significant challenge.”

Benito says ciggie butts stubbed out on pavements often find their way into stormwater drains, eventually landing up in the sea, and posing a threat to marine ecosystems.

“Marine animals, including fish and seabirds, risk ingesting ciggie buts resulting in death. It’s a fact that 500 cigarette butts soaked in 500 litres of seawater can be fatal to fish living in it, and marine conservationists predict that by 2037 there will be more ciggie butts in the ocean than snoek!”

SMALL BUTT BIG PROBLEM

With its slogan “The Small Butt Big Problem”, the campaign aims to create awareness among members of the public and “actively address the environmental hazards posed by irresponsible littering of cigarette butts”.

In addition to the 5 m x 5 m 3-D drawing, drawn by HandCantrol 360 Crew, 14 poles and two pillars on and around Thibault Square have been wrapped with anti-ciggie-butt litter messaging, urging people to “Bin You Butts”, “Be Responsible” and “Clean & Green, Use Bins for Butts”.

The CCID has about 310 cigarette butt bins strategically placed throughout its inner-city footprint for public disposal of cigarette butts.

“These bins are emptied twice a month in all four of the CCID’s precincts by a dedicated 16-strong Urban Management team.”

Benito says the CCID Urban Management department hopes to not only create public awareness and educate smokers not to litter but “to foster a culture of responsible waste disposal and promote sustainable practices among residents, businesses, and visitors alike.

The CCID “Small Butt Big Problem” is a three-month campaign which will also roll out on its social media pages and will include public activations in the Cape Town CBD.

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