NEA hands out cigarette butt containers to smokers in anti-littering campaign

Sharon See Channel NewsAsia 25 Jul 10;

SINGAPORE : There is now a new way to get rid of cigarette butts, if there're no dustbins around.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) said statistics show that more than 90 per cent of litterbugs caught in the past five years were those throwing cigarette butts on the ground.

So it came up with a solution.

Smokers can now put their cigarette butts into a special container first, before emptying them into a dustbin later.

The agency is giving out 6,000 such containers to encourage smokers to dispose their cigarette butts responsibly.

"NEA has conducted a survey... most of the responses are they can't find a place to dispose (their) my cigarette butt. That's their reply when they get caught, so here we are giving them less excuses," said Marine Parade MP Lim Biow Chuan.

"It's very convenient to use, easy to use," said one member of the public.

"This is more convenient, as I don't have to look for a dustbin," said a smoker. - CNA /ls

Cigarette butts form 95% of litter in Southeast CDC
Cheryl Ong Straits Times 26 Jul 10;

NO BUTTS - that is the message the South East Community Development Council (CDC) has for its people after it was found to have fared the worst in Singapore in cigarette butt littering.

The South East District, comprising estates like Bedok North, Chai Chee, Circuit Road and Serangoon Central, has the highest proportion of cigarette butt littering, according to recent statistics from the National Environment Agency (NEA).

Of those caught littering, the national average for people nicked for disposing of their cigarette butts irresponsibly was 90 per cent over the past five years, according to the agency's enforcement statistics.

But in the South East District, the proportion of litterbugs caught was 95 per cent, making it the district with the highest proportion of such litter offenders in Singapore.

And it is time for these people to butt out, if the South East CDC has its way with the launch of a new campaign to fight cigarette butt littering.

In collaboration with the NEA, the CDC yesterday launched the 'Stop Cigarette Butt Littering' programme with 6,000 portable cigarette butt containers that will be distributed for free to smokers to help them not break the law.

The containers will be doled out at 12 NTUC FairPrice supermarkets in the district, and through house visits conducted by grassroots leaders and volunteers.

The visits will also be a chance for the community leaders to inform residents of the anti-littering drive, as well as the fact that the fine for littering is $300.

The containers are not intended to promote smoking but to promote responsible disposal of cigarette butts, according to a press release from the NEA.

'We hope that with stricter enforcement coupled with targeted education, we will be able to help change the anti-social habit of smokers flicking cigarette butts in public places,' said Mr Tan Wee Hock, divisional director of the 3P Network Division of NEA.

The NEA conducted a survey in May with 110 smokers living in the district on their willingness to use a container to discard their cigarette butts.

Sixty-six per cent of the smokers said they like the idea, out of which 76 per cent said they preferred a metal container to a plastic one.

These suggestions led to the agency fashioning together a hardy metal container with a plastic shell that can be carried in pockets and bags.

A follow-up survey will be carried out by the agency in November to assess feedback from smokers on the containers.

The survey results will determine if more containers should be distributed to residents in the district.

Ms Dewi Suhadi, 25, who lives in Kembangan and often takes walks to estates in Bedok and Chai Chee, said cigarette butt littering is a common problem in the residential estates.

'Smokers have only so few places they can loiter at, so they leave a lot of litter at the void decks,' she said.

'I hope the programme works - although I can't imagine smokers walking around with the containers in their hands.'

Smokers who are interested, or individuals who wish to give the containers to smokers they know, may call the NEA hotline (1800-Call-NEA) for a free container.

Portable ashtray to stop litterbugs
Today Online 26 Jul 10;

SINGAPORE - Smokers who litter their cigarette butts might find this portable ashtray useful. A specially-designed, pocket-sized cigarette butt container (picture) could help them keep their nicotine trash until they find a rubbish bin. The containers, with anti-littering messages printed on them, were distributed by grassroots leaders at the Old Airport Road hawker centre yesterday during the launch of a programme to "Stop Cigarette Butt Littering" at the Mountbatten Community Centre.

The National Environment Agency has joined hands with the South-East Community Development Council to produce and distribute 6,000 pocket-sized cigarette-butt containers.

Cigarette-butt litter is one of the most common types of litter in Singapore. NEA surveyed 110 smokers in the South-East District to gauge their response towards the use of portable ashtrays, and almost two out of three said that they are in favour of using the container.

Mr Andrew Low, NEA's south-east regional office head, said the containers are easy to use: "We want to encourage smokers that once they finish the cigarette instead of throwing it on the ground, if they can't find a bin, to temporarily put it in these containers and when they come upon a bin, to then dispose of them properly." SHARON SEE