Pocket ashtrays (and more ways to prevent cigarette litter)

A single cigarette butt may seem insignificant, but when thousands are dropped on pavements, in parks and along roadsides, the impact quickly adds up. Keeping our communities clean doesn’t have to be complicated.

One simple idea is the pocket ashtray. Small, lightweight and easy to carry, pocket ashtrays give smokers somewhere to safely store cigarette ends until they can be disposed of properly.

Instead of dropping a butt onto the pavement when there isn’t a bin nearby, it can be extinguished and kept in the pocket ashtray until a bin is found.

TakeTray (Switzerland) is a good brand. There are two types, made from recycled plastic or ocean-bound plastic. Either is good! Discounts are available on bulk orders. Now the market leader in Europe, a campaign in Spalding (Lincolnshire) resulted in over halved cigarette litter. This works!

In the Swiss town of Horgen, retailers (including Lidl and Spar) that sell cigarettes hand them out free of charge. What a great idea! Why are the same chains not doing this in England and elsewhere?

Features of TakeTray:

Not too small or too large
Odour-proof
Safetly lock to stop unintentional opening
One-hand operation
Sits comfortably in pockets
Can also be used as a table ashtray

Other good solutions are available in Denmark and USA.

Could you imagine if every supermarket, petrol station and newsagent sold these, as well as cigarettes? Our butt litter problem would disappear overnight. Instead of causing wildfires and falling down storm drains, and ending up in our seas and rivers.

Why don’t shops sell pocket ashtrays?

The charity Keep Britain Tidy was offering them on trial, why they stopped is unclear. The government stopped funding the charity, due to receiving funding from the tobacco industry.

One critic said that a government has stopped funding the collection of litter, shows just how out of touch it is, as this is one of the most important things in the average person’s quality of life.

Abroad, most supermarkets sell pocket ashtrays, but not in the UK. Some says it’s because at a few pounds for a one-off device, they don’t see enough profit compared to disposable snacks, vapes and lottery tickets.

If the big shops got on board, they could make a huge difference to reducing both cigarette litter and wildfires nationwide.

A pocket ashtray for beaches

Boodi beach ashtray is also good. This has a little hole in the bottom. You stub out your cigarette if smoking on or near the beach. Then cover the ashtray with sand to make sure the butt is safely extinguished.

Then the sand pours out the hole, and you keep the ashtray on your person, until you find a proper bin.

Why preventing cigarette litter matters

Cigarette butts are more than an eyesore. They can contain plastic filters and residues that can persist in the environment. When they are left on streets, they can be carried by rain into drains and waterways, spreading litter beyond the place where it was originally dropped.

They can also pose a danger to wildlife. Animals may mistake small pieces of litter for food, while discarded cigarettes can become a source of harmful material in habitats.

There is also the simple issue of community pride. Streets, parks and beaches are much more pleasant when they are clean and cared for. Preventing cigarette litter therefore benefits people as well as the environment.

Make responsible disposal easier

Pocket ashtrays are only one part of the solution. Providing more clearly visible cigarette bins in busy areas can make responsible disposal much easier. If people have somewhere convenient to put cigarette ends, there is less temptation to leave them on the ground.

Businesses, event organisers and local communities can also help by placing suitable disposal points near entrances, outdoor seating areas and other places where people commonly smoke.

Clear signs can reinforce the message, too. A friendly reminder to dispose of cigarette ends responsibly may be more effective than simply telling people what not to do.

Ballot Bin (a fun way to reduce butt litter)

Ballot Bin sounds a bit daft, but it seems to work, massively reducing cigarette litter. People answer a fun question (like which footballer do you prefer) and deposit the butt in the one of their choice. Installed in all towns, these could reduce and prevent cigarette litter.

The butts can then be sent off in bulk to Terracycle to make other goods like industrial piping (cigarettes contain plastic).