TEAM BUTT PATROL HITS THE STREETS TO LAUNCH THE CAMDEN SMOKING-RELATED LITTER CAMPAIGN

01/05/07

WHAT: Camden Council launches its smoking-related litter awareness campaign, with staff dressed in ‘cigarette butt’ costumes going on patrol to encourage people to bin their butts responsibly
WHEN: Monday, 4 June
WHERE: ‘Team Butt Patrol’ will start near Holborn Tube Station at 9.45am – on Southhampton Row at the junction with High Holborn.
It will move on to Camden High Street at 12 noon, starting at the Mary Street junction.
The patrol’s last stop is Kilburn High Road at 3pm, at the junction with Belsize Road.

With less than a month until England goes smoke-free, Camden Council’s Team Butt Patrol is hitting the streets to promote responsible cigarette butt disposal.

The Camden 2007 Smoking-related Litter Campaign – being launched on Monday 4 June – will target litter hotspot areas such as outside office buildings, tube stations and at bus stops.

Camden Council staff dressed in cigarette butt costumes will be lighting up the streets throughout Monday to spread the message: “No butts – stub it, bin it!”

Helped by members of Team Butt Patrol, they will be handing out portable cigarette butt pouches and pointing out where smokers can bin their butts and empty packets responsibly.

Smoking-related litter (SRL) is the most common form of litter in Camden’s streets. A 2006 survey of sites across the borough found that smoking-related litter was the most common item of litter at 89% of the places surveyed.

On a national level, SRL is found on three-quarters of England’s streets, according to a 2004-05 ENCAMS survey.

Anecdotal evidence from Ireland and Scotland suggests that smoking-related litter on the streets increased following the introduction of smoking bans last year.

Throughout the awareness campaign, council staff will visit managers of buildings in hotspot areas to urge them to sign up to the ‘Bin a Butt’ action list.

The action list includes providing SRL bins outside their premises as well as giving out pocket ashtrays, and spreading the anti-SRL message.

Camden Council Senior Policy and Projects Officer, Street Environment Services, Richard Bradbury said:

“Smoking-related litter is a real problem in Camden. While tossing a cigarette butt on to the street may seem harmless, it is littering and does have a negative impact on the environment.

“With more people expected to smoke outside following the nation-wide ban in July, we don’t want this leading to more smoking-related litter on our streets.

“Throughout Camden there are dedicated smoking litter bins and during our awareness campaign officers will be handing out portable ashtrays.

“There really is no excuse for people to throw their cigarette butts or empty packets in the street or open spaces.

“If smoking-related litter is disposed of responsibly, everyone can enjoy a cleaner borough.”

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