Toulouse gives away 50 000 pocket ashtrays as means to fight cigarette butt disposal

A single cigarette end can pollute up to 500 litres of drinkable water

Toulouse, the rose city, unfortunately appears to be the most contaminated French municipality, when it comes to cigarette butt disposal. This anti record has been set last October, when within two hours only, close to 100 000 cigarette ends illegally disposed were collected in the streets of the otherwise picturesque city. What this results in is not only spoiled view on the beautiful urban and natural landscapes, but in particularly negative consequences to the environment. According to research, a single cigarette end can contaminate as much as 500 litters of water and to make it even worse: through rainfall the former join the Garonne river and thereby – reach the sea, becoming a treat to the sea life.

Naturally, this striking state of affaires did not go unnoticed by local authorities, who had already undertaken various communication and disciplinary activities against delinquents, such as penalties of 68 euro, increasing the number of bins available in public spaces and places of entertainment, raising awareness of the offensive nature of cigarette ends disposal out of the designated areas or even installing a special brigade of 18 agents in change with enforcing for respecting the rules.

But as these measures have not had the desired effect, the Municipality of Toulouse have come up with an innovative solution: they will facilitate smokers even further by distributing for free 50 000 pocket ashtrays across the tobacco shops in the metropolis. They are small, pocket size and fit several cigarette ends, which normally is enough for several hours.

Take yours before the end of March from one of 160 tobacconists in Toulouse.

Source: Actu.fr