Environmental enforcement officers will be giving away pouches to encourage people to dispose of their cigarette butts responsibly.
The agreement, which supports the Councils’ Litter Strategy to help clean up the area and change attitudes towards littering, is being carried out in partnership with East Hampshire District Council via East Hampshire Commercial Services (EHCS).
Under the agreement, enforcement officers are able to issue Fixed Penalty Notices for littering, which is an offence under Section 87(1) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and includes discarding cigarette butts.
Adur & Worthing Councils and EHCS have 500 ‘stub store’ pouches to give away to allow smokers to dispose of cigarette butts on the go and help reduce the amount of cigarette litter in our streets and open spaces.
The pouches are small, lightweight and reusable with a fireproof lining to extinguish cigarettes which can then be disposed of at home or in waste bins.
Environmental Enforcement Officers will give the pouches out to offenders to tackle the problem at source and help change their behaviour in the future. Some will also be available to collect at Worthing Town Hall.
According to research by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, smoking-related litter is the most prevalent form of litter in England, making up 68% of all littered items and found on around 80% of surveyed sites.
As part of their commitment to protect the local environment, the Councils are stepping up their efforts to crack down on litter, whether it be in the community’s parks, streets, or on the coast.
A spokesperson for the Councils said:
“With cigarette butts being the most littered item in the country, we’re desperate to do all we can to not only keep our towns and villages clean for our residents and visitors, but protect wildlife.
“Many butts dropped on streets or roads end up being swept into storm water systems by rain and end up out at sea - impacting marine environments too.
“It’s hoped the individuals who receive the pouches will be encouraged to dispose of their cigarettes more responsibly going forward.”
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