Free pocket ashtray pouches for cigarette butts are being offered by ABC Council in an effort to curb the most common form of littering.
Cigarette butts continue to be discarded on our streets and public spaces and it takes considerable Council resources and ratepayers’ money to continually clean them up.
The butts also pose a significant risk to the environment. As cigarette filters break down, they can release microplastics, toxic chemicals including arsenic, lead, formaldehyde and nicotine into the earth and watercourses, endangering fish and wildlife. The entire lifecycle of a cigarette, from production to disposal, contributes to climate change.
Pocket ashtray pouches, available free from Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council, are reusable and designed for people to use when they are on the go – meaning they have somewhere to easily dispose of their cigarette butts, rather than littering our borough. And as a consequence, the pouches ensure smokers will not be caught littering and fined by the team of Environmental Wardens who carry out regular patrols across the ABC Borough.
People who are found responsible for dropping litter which includes cigarettes butts will be fined £120.
These pouches are free and can be requested by contacting the council directly on 0300 030 0900 or by emailing
The pouches also provide details on smoking cessation supported by the Public Health Agency, including a helpful website – www.stopsmokingni.info
If you would like to help tackle litter, fly-tipping and dog fouling in your community, you can report incidents via the ABC Council App which is available to download on the App store and Google Play store, or by calling the Council’s Environmental Health team directly on 0300 0300 900.
