The Marlow Wombles (our local litter-picking volunteers) give up tremendous amounts of time and energy to keep the streets, pavements, parks and footpaths of Marlow clear of litter. The biggest problem they face is cigarette butts, which according to Keep Britain Tidy, is the most common form of litter found on our streets, parks and beaches across the country. [1] Not only that, but about 4.5 trillion cigarettes are discarded each year worldwide, making them the most littered item on Earth. [2]

The problem with this is not just that they are an unsightly mess, but that cigarette filters are made of a plastic called cellulose acetate. When tossed into the environment, they dump not only that plastic, but also the nicotine, heavy metals, and many other chemicals they’ve absorbed into the surrounding environment. [2] They can also be mistaken for food by our local wildlife, causing serious harm and even death if ingested, and if they end up in our river or travel from our drains to other waterways, they leach toxic chemicals into the water, where they can remain for as long as 10 years [2] and harm all the marine life (both animals and plants) that they come into contact with.

The Marlow Wombles started a “Bin the Butt” campaign in Marlow, trying to educate our local community about the danger cigarette butts pose when dropped on the ground and encouraging people to bin them. They also provided local businesses with flowerpots for discarded butts and spoke with business owners and the local council about installing cigarette bins in key areas, however the problem remains. Although the problem was acknowledged by the council, nothing has been done to rectify the situation as the town council were worried about the look of cigarette bins around town.

We want Marlow Town Council, our Mayor Richard Scott, Buckinghamshire County Council and Sorbon Estates to reconsider our request and to install sufficient numbers of cigarette bins along the high street and in key areas around town to reduce the number of butts dropped on the ground and into our drains. We believe that the bins will be less detrimental to the appearance of our town than the current number of cigarette butts dropped on the ground and will go a long way in protecting both our local wildlife as well as marine animals who are killed when these cigarette butts enter our waterways via our drains. Trials in other parts of the UK have seen up to a 46% reduction in cigarette butt litter following the installation of ballot bins, which also increase engagement with the public as they vote to answer a question with their litter. [3] Other more discreet options are also available and could be easily installed into smaller spaces.

Rebecca Pow MP, the current Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs recently stated that “cigarette butts are a blight on our communities, littering our streets or ending up washed down the drain and polluting our rivers and oceans…We must all take action to protect our environment” [4] She is correct in that it is all of our responsibility to do what we can to mitigate the damage caused by littering and pollution, and that includes us as ordinary citizens, but more importantly those with power to make change such as local councillors, business owners and land owners, which is why we ask that you install cigarette bins at the following key locations:

• The bus stop on Dean Street
• The bus stop by The Britannia
• The bus stop on West Street at the end of Portlands Alley
• Between the bus stop in front of Sainsburys Local and the bench in front of Santander
• The bus stop in front of HSBC
• The main entrance to Higginson Park
• Near the river in Higginson Park
• The corner of Institute Road and the High Street
• The entrance to the alleyway beside The Duke of Clarence leading to Portland Crescent
• The bench in front of Hamptons and next to the phone boxes
• At the entrance / exit of the alleyway between Beaumont Rise and Claremont Road
• The benches next to The Charles Frohman Memorial at The Causeway
  
  We also ask that you repair / replace the broken cigarette bin that is located in Morris Place.
  
  [1] https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/local-authorities/reduce-litter/smoking-related-litter/binthebutt
  [2] https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/cigarettes-story-of-plastic
  [3] https://local.gov.uk/case-studies/reducing-cigarette-butt-litter
  [4] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-explores-next-steps-to-clean-up-tobacco-litter-in-england