Hobsons Bay City Council has launched an initiative to raise awareness of cigarette butt litter and its impacts on marine life and the urban environment.
Mayor of Hobson Bay Councillor Peter Hemphill said cigarette butts are a key contributor to litter in Hobsons Bay.
We are urging residents to butt it and bin it, said Cr Hemphill.
Statistics from Clean Up Australia show that cigarette butts make up about 50 per cent of all litter in Australia. Most are swept into our waterways through storm water drains, ending up in our beaches, rivers and harbours.
In addition to being unsightly, cigarette butts contain a number of hazardous chemicals which can leach into the environment and contaminate waterways and land. Birds and aquatic animals can also mistake the cigarette butts as food, resulting in potentially life threatening digestive problems.
