Toxicbutts.com: Cigarette Butt Cleanup Procedure ... Smoke free college
campuses: no ifs, ands or toxic butts. ... Future efforts should promote awareness.
Kicking Butts off CSUSM: Creating Environmental Awareness of Cigarette Butt Litter Vanessa Martinez & Devan R. Romero, Dr.PH. Department of Kinesiology, California State University, San Marcos, CA 92096
Background • Approximately, 360 million cigarette butts are littered each year in the US (Sawdey et al., 2011a). • Worldwide, cigarette butts are the #1 most littered object found on beaches, in rivers, and in cities (www.ToxicButts.com). • Cigarette butts are NOT biodegradable, but are made out of a plastic called cellulose acetate (Sawdey et al, 2011b).
Methods • Volunteers were recruited through class announcements, flyers, and email solicitations. • Clean up date was scheduled for 4/20, 2 days before Earth Day.
•Cigarette butts cleaned up in 1 hour = 5,389 •Average cigarette butts collect in 1 hour per volunteer = 131
• In 2010 SDSU, successfully cleaned up 23,885 cigarette butts and UCSD 6,525 cigarette butts in one hour (www.ToxicButts.com).
• Volunteers counted each individual butt as they were collected.
• Cigarette butt filters are contaminating toxic waste, non-biodegradable and are detrimental to the campus environment.
• Future efforts should promote awareness of cigarette butt litter as toxic waste.
References •Most frequently littered areas:
• No cigarette butts were removed from any receptacles or the trash bins.
• Cigarette butts are being littered on our campus at a high amount and are a clear burden.
• Measures need to be taken to reduce current waste prevalence and target litter behavior on campus.
• Each volunteer used multiple pairs of gloves and one paper bag.
• Total number of cigarette butts collected per individual volunteer and by group was recorded.
Conclusions
• Smoking areas with butt receptacles had the most butt litter; thus restricted areas do not seem to encourage proper disposal of cigarette butts.
• Volunteers were assigned to sections in groups of 5-8 participants. • Duration of the clean up was 1 hour.
• Create environmental awareness of cigarette butt litter as toxic waste.
•Volunteers: n = 41
• The campus was sectioned into 6 areas.
• Cigarette butt cleanups have been successful on beaches and other areas, but have been seldomly conducted in large outdoor venues such as college campuses (Sawdey et al., 2011a).
Objectives
Results
•Smoking restricted areas •Under seating areas, benches, & tables •Planters and in landscaping
• Create partnerships with nearby universities and advocate for smoke free environments.
•Cracks and crevices along buildings and sidewalks
• Inform students of the complex problem of cigarette waste from an environmental and behavioral perspective.
•Stairwells
•Parking lots
•Smoking sections with most litter: •Behind Craven Hall •Side of Kellogg Library •Craven Circle •Around Science Hall I
Sawdey, M., Novotny, T.E., Smyser J. (2011). Toxicbutts.com: Cigarette Butt Cleanup Procedure Manual for University and College Campuses. Sawdey, M., Lindsay, R.P., Novotny, T.E., (2011). Smoke free college campuses: no ifs, ands or toxic butts. The Environmental Burden of Cigarette Butts; Tobacco Control. 20(1) , 21-24. ToxicButts.com. (2012). Toxic Butts. Retrieved from http://toxicbutts.com/index.php on April 15, 2012.
Acknowledgements • Cigarette Butt Pollution Project & Toxic Butts • Michael Sawdey, Dr. Thomas Novotny, & Joe Smyser from SDSU • Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drugs Committee • Risk Management and Safety • Facilities and Sustainability Services
For Further Information Please contact Devan R. Romero, Dr.PH. Assistant Professor, Dept of Kinesiology California State University, San Marcos (760) 750-8259 (phone) (760) 750-3190 (fax)
[email protected] www.csusm.edu/kinesiology
