The city council of Greater Dandenong, Australia, has threatened to fine anyone caught littering a cigarette butt up to $6,000. The council recently released a statement stating that cigarette butts comprised 60 percent of local litter and that it would punish those who dump butts in the streets.

Phil Robertson, a waste and cleansing business unit leader, said the littering problem does not end on the ground. "One in 10 butts ends up in our waterways after being washed down our storm water drains," he said. "The pollute the water and cause all sorts of harm to marine and freshwater animals and wildlife. Cigarette butts have even been found in the stomachs of dead birds and fish."

The Greater Dandenong council has recently hosted educational activities at local shopping centers and plans to continue visiting new sites. "Educating smokes that butts are litter and they cause environmental damage is the key to this campaign," Robertson said. "Some smokers think butts are either too small to be litter or that they will be swept up by someone, especially in urban areas. They often don't know that butts cause environmental damage."

Legislative changes in recent years have more people smoking on the streets, where cigarette butts are easily dropped. Cigarette butt littering fines will range from $107 to $6,000, according to the council.

Source: Star News Group