Monaco’s Mairie has launched the 16th edition of ‘Monaco Zéro Mégot,’ its long-running campaign against cigarette butt litter, with free pocket ashtrays distributed to residents, workers and visitors across the Principality this summer.

The campaign launched on Tuesday at the Marché de la Condamine, with Marjorie Crovetto, deputy mayor for quality of life, the environment and sustainable development, on hand alongside municipal council members and Kamila Ansiau of the Tourism and Convention Authority. Crovetto described the market as a fitting place to mark the relaunch, calling it a hub of everyday community life.

New distribution point at the market

A new distribution point has opened near the market’s shared library, located beneath the central marquee, alongside existing points at Monaco’s Town Hall and the Médiathèque Caroline. Pocket ashtrays will also be handed out at the Tourism and Convention Authority’s reception points throughout the summer. The campaign distributes around 6,000 of the reusable ashtrays each year, keeping the visual design created last year by artist Mr. One Teas.

A small habit with an outsized environmental cost

Crovetto pointed to the scale of the problem the campaign is designed to address, noting that cigarette butts are consistently among the most common items collected during World Clean Up Day, the global litter-collection event Monaco will hold again on 19th September. A single cigarette butt, she said, can contaminate up to 500 litres of water, a figure consistent with environmental research showing cigarette filters are among the most pervasive sources of ocean pollution worldwide.

Through the campaign, the Mairie and its partners are aiming to encourage residents and tourists alike to take simple, low-effort steps to help preserve Monaco’s environment.

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Photo source: Mairie de Monaco