Tackling Cigarette Butts in Byron Shire

18 Jul 2019

Tackling Cigarette Butts in Byron Shire

Installation of butts bins, social media blitzes, and community engagement helped Byron Shire reduce the number of smoking litter items by over 50%.

What was the problem?

• After undertaking weekly Local Litter Checks, Byron Shire noted hotspots and clean spots in its shire area.
• Hotspots recorded 545 smoking-related items, in comparison to only 69 in clean spots.
• Byron Shire wanted to reduce the amount of micro litter by 40%.

What did we do?

Byron Shire Council: 

• Raised community awareness of the impact of littering on Cape Byron Marine Park by forming a partnership with community groups.
• Improved and expanded cigarette butt bin infrastructure across Byron Shire through the installation of 128 Enviropoles.
• Introduced a smoking ban on beaches in Byron Bay.
• Increased litter blitzes along the Byron Bay foreshore area.
• Promoted the NSW EPA Don’t be a Tosser! messaging. 

 

What did we achieve?

• A successful litter program that incorporated community partnerships, educational events including beach cleans and film screenings, improved butt bin infrastructure, improved litter enforcement, and implemented a beach smoking ban.
• Stronger relationships and partnerships between Council and community groups, expansion of our cigarette butt bin network from 27 butt bins to 128 Enviropoles, expansion of our education and enforcement signage, improved enforcement with 6 litter blitzes, and the successful amendment of Councils Smoke-Free Outdoor policy to include beaches. 

How was the project evaluated?

Hotspots were identified during initial local litter checks. They were then left for two months before baseline data was collected to get an accurate idea of the litter problem. Monthly Local Litter Checks were conducted at 26 locations Shire-wide. The number of littered items was our main measure due to the small volume of cigarette butts. Local Litter Checks were conducted by Council or by Positive Change for Marine Life with the assistance of grant funding. 

What did we learn?

• Byron Bay is internationally recognised with over 2 million visitors annually. It is challenging to run an educational campaign to reach visitors as well as local residents due to the constant turnover and change in audience. A separate program dedicated to litter and tourism is in development to address this challenge.
• Getting people to produce identification when issuing smoking infringements on the beach can be challenging. Beachgoers may not have identification on them and it can be hard to be discrete when issuing infringements on the beach. During our litter blitzes / enforcing the smoking ban our rangers found no need to issue infringements but are wary of it in the future.
• Some businesses (even if they have a ground litter issue) do not want butt bins near or close by to their shop as they believe that it will attract smokers. 

What is the legacy of the project?

Byron Shire Council remains committed to protecting the Cape Byron Marine Park from micro-litter that is shown to have a detrimental effect on marine life, and to improving amenity across the Shire for local residents, businesses, and visitors alike. Our improved infrastructure, community partnerships, and increased enforcement will continue to benefit the community and achieve these outcomes and the insight into littering behaviour will be adapted into our future litter programs.