Proposal for Cigarette Butt Ashcans throughout Miami Beach, Florida. These attractive pole mounted cigarette receptacles make it easy for people to do the right thing and not litter. Educational messaging tells smokers that cigarette butts are made of plastic and don't biodegrade.

1. Addressing Cigarette Butt Litter
in Miami Beach
: Dave Doebler Dave@VolunteerCleanup.Org www.VolunteerCleanup.Org 954-415-7434

2. • Cigarette butts are the most frequently
littered item
• Cigarette butts create the impression
that Miami Beach is a dirty city, and that
it is OK to litter
• Butts leach toxins when wet,
contaminating our beaches and waters
• Cigarette filters have been found in the
stomachs of fish, birds, whales and other
marine creatures who mistake them for
food
ECOMB Beach Cleanup – 2008 – South Beach
Significant cigarette butt litter on Miami Beach
Dave Doebler , Dave@VolunteerCleanup.Org
www.VolunteerCleanup.Org 954-415-7434

3. Miami Beach Bus Station - 20th and Indian Creek
615 Cigarette Butts and 13 Cigarillo tips picked up in 10 minutes
Dave Doebler , Dave@VolunteerCleanup.Org
www.VolunteerCleanup.Org 954-415-7434

4. Understanding the Problem
Lack of Proper Receptacles
• Smokers Blame their littering on a lack of well-placed bins
for cigarette butts.
• Over 80% of smokers said they would properly dispose of
their butts if suitable bins were available.
• 41.8% report that they do not have receptacles for cigarette
butts at their work location.
http://preventcigarettelitter.org/files/downloads/researchfindings.pdf
Dave Doebler , Dave@VolunteerCleanup.Org
www.VolunteerCleanup.Org 954-415-7434

5. Where does cigarette Litter happen?
• Most cigarette and cigar tip littering happens at
“transition points”. These are areas where a
smoker must extinguish a cigarette or cigar
before proceeding, such as outside retail stores,
hotels, office buildings, before entering beaches,
parks or other recreation areas, and at roadside
rest areas, parking lots, bus shelters, and train
platforms.
– Medical/hospital sites have the highest littering rates
– Next is recreation areas, bars/restaurants
– Third highest are retail locations and city centers.
Dave Doebler , Dave@VolunteerCleanup.Org
www.VolunteerCleanup.Org 954-415-7434

6. Effective Solutions
• Research findings indicate that the most effective
ways to address cigarette butt litter are:
– Increasing the availability of ash receptacles and
portable ashtray. (For every additional ash receptacle,
the littering rate for cigarette butts decreases by 9%)
– Decreasing the amount of existing litter through
clean-up activities
– Educating the public with motivational messages that
target individual responsibility and obligation at
transition points are an important catalyst for
changing behavior
http://preventcigarettelitter.org/files/downloads/researchfindings.pdf
Dave Doebler , Dave@VolunteerCleanup.Org
www.VolunteerCleanup.Org 954-415-7434

7. Pole Mounted Ashcans
Dave Doebler , Dave@VolunteerCleanup.Org www.VolunteerCleanup.Org 954-415-7434

8. Durable Outdoor Design
• Heavy duty
• Corrosion resistant
• Customized sticker educates
smokers that butts are plastic
and aren’t biodegradable.
• Key lock to prevent ‘theft’ of
butts
Dave Doebler , Dave@VolunteerCleanup.Org
www.VolunteerCleanup.Org 954-415-7434

9. Great design placed where people smoke
• These attractive ashcans are affixed
above the ground, at eye-level in high
foot-traffic and ‘transitional’
locations.
• Ashcans have reduced cigarette butt
litter and improved the quality of
business districts for residents and
visitors.
• These durable outdoor receptacles
provide measureable results of
cleaner and healthier surroundings
and environment.
Dave Doebler , Dave@VolunteerCleanup.Org
www.VolunteerCleanup.Org 954-415-7434

10. Community/Business Ashcan Sponsorship
$100 each to be installed in front of their business
Dave Doebler , Dave@VolunteerCleanup.Org
www.VolunteerCleanup.Org 954-415-7434

11. TerraCycle’s “Cigarette Waste Brigade”
keeps butts out of landfill
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company, the sponsor of TerraCycle “Cigarette
Waste Brigade”, provides free shipping to non-profits.
(no Tobacco Company messaging is required).
The collected material is recycled into a variety of industrial products,
such as plastic pallets, and any remaining tobacco is recycled as compost
Dave Doebler , Dave@VolunteerCleanup.Org
www.VolunteerCleanup.Org 954-415-7434

12. Case Studies - 2 California Beach Towns
Since 2004, the Hold On To Your Butt
campaign by San Diego County Chapter
of Surfrider has installed about 160
ashcans with a 65% reduction in
cigarette butt litter in those areas.
Huntington Beach
Chapter of Surfrider
collected and
recycled 500,000
butts in 4 years
Dave Doebler , Dave@VolunteerCleanup.Org www.VolunteerCleanup.Org 954-415-7434

13. Proposal
• VolunteerCleanup.Org will sell sponsored ashcans to
local businesses (bars, hotels, restaurants, etc.) to
install in front of their business. $100/unit
• City of Miami Beach to installs ___ number of ashcans
in public spaces such as bus stops and park entrances.
$100/unit
• Maintenance of all units handled by city. Alternatively,
a non-profit can handle the collection if the units
become $100 annually or if grants are made available.
Dave Doebler , Dave@VolunteerCleanup.Org
www.VolunteerCleanup.Org 954-415-7434

14. Where should we place them?
City Paid For
- Bus stops
- Corners
- Beach Entrances
- Boardwalks
- Pier
- Park Entrances / Parklets
Business Paid For
- Bars
- Clubs
- Restaurants
- Grocery Stores
- Hotels / Hostels
Dave Doebler , Dave@VolunteerCleanup.Org
www.VolunteerCleanup.Org 954-415-7434

15. Street Signs, Lamps, Poles
Dave Doebler , Dave@VolunteerCleanup.Org
www.VolunteerCleanup.Org 954-415-7434

16. Action
Ashcans
- Ask City for partnership and support
- Approval and guidelines for messaging on cans
- Approval and guidelines for mounting of cans
- Open issue? Who can/should handle installation?
VolunteerCleanup.Org or City may wish to take
this on
Dave Doebler , Dave@VolunteerCleanup.Org
www.VolunteerCleanup.Org 954-415-7434

17. Appendix | Research
Dave Doebler , Dave@VolunteerCleanup.Org
www.VolunteerCleanup.Org 954-415-7434

18. • 65% of cigarette butts are littered
• 4.95 trillion cigarette butts are disposed of in our
environment annually – the most frequently littered
item
• Litter clean up costs the U.S. over $11 billion annually
• Composed of cellulose acetate, a form of plastic,
cigarette butts can take up to 25 years to decompose
http://preventcigarettelitter.org/files/downloads/researchfindings.pdf
Some General Facts
Dave Doebler , Dave@VolunteerCleanup.Org
www.VolunteerCleanup.Org 954-415-7434

19. Understanding the Problem
Awareness and Culture
• Smokers don’t believe littering their cigarette butts is
inappropriate – many think they are paper / cotton
• Some believe they’re acting responsibly by dropping
cigarettes to the ground and stepping on them, or in
storm drains, as a safe way to extinguish a cigarette.
• A survey of over 1,000 smokers found that 35% toss
five or more cigarette butts per pack on the ground
• Smokers are more likely to litter if the environment
contains any type of litter, not just cigarette butts.
More littered environments encourage more littering.
http://preventcigarettelitter.org/files/downloads/researchfindings.pdf
Dave Doebler , Dave@VolunteerCleanup.Org www.VolunteerCleanup.Org 954-415-7434

20. Understanding the Problem
Lack of Proper Receptacles
• Only 10% of cigarette butts are properly deposited in trash can
receptacles—the least likely item to be placed in a receptacle
• Only 14% of current smokers report owning a pocket ashtray,
and 28.1% report that they do not have a receptacle for
cigarette butts in their car
• Smokers Blame their littering on a lack of well-placed bins for
cigarette butts.
• Over 80% of smokers said they would properly dispose of their
butts if suitable bins were available.
• 41.8% report that they do not have receptacles for cigarette butts
at their work location.
http://preventcigarettelitter.org/files/downloads/researchfindings.pdf
Dave Doebler , Dave@VolunteerCleanup.Org
www.VolunteerCleanup.Org 954-415-7434

21. Customize
graphics and
messaging on
the noticeable
sticker allows
education
Dave Doebler , Dave@VolunteerCleanup.Org
www.VolunteerCleanup.Org 954-415-7434