Cigarette butt litter is a major problem on beaches and a source of ocean pollution. Some smokers discard cigarette butts in the sand. This litter is often carried into the ocean with the tide, where it can be mistaken for food by birds and marine animals, with dire consequences.

Overstrand Municipality would like to make it easier for smokers on the beach to dispose of their cigarette butts in a responsible manner.

With this in mind, the Blue Flag Co-ordinator approached LoveAbility House in Hawston to make paper maché cones. These would be used on all Overstrand’s five Blue Flag Beaches as ashtrays to help prevent smokers from burying their cigarette butts.

We encourage all beach goers to take responsibility for all their waste – by working together we can make a big difference.

The battle against waste is not solely won by clean-up operations, but by making people aware of what they are throwing away and where they are doing it.