Monaco is once again handing out pocket ashtrays to smokers in an effort to put an end to careless cigarette pollution on the streets and beaches of the Principality.
Cigarette filters are the second most common type of litter found on European beaches and are thrown away at an astonishing rate of 4.5 trillion each year worldwide.
They are made of a plastic called cellulose acetate. When tossed into the environment, cigarette butts leave behind not only plastic, but also nicotine, heavy metals and many other chemicals that ultimately find their way into the surrounding environment: bad news all round.
Every summer, the Mairie de Monaco, the Tourist and Convention Authority (DTC) and the Monegasque Sanitation Company (SMA) join forces to try and stop people carelessly disposing of their cigarettes by handing out convenient pocket ashtrays.
On 5th June, World Environment Day, the three came together to host the first ever Monaco Zéro Mégot action day and handed out dozens of the containers to beachgoers down in Larvotto.
Where to find the pocket ashtrays
This will be followed up throughout the summer, with teams distributing these handy receptacles at sites across the Principality. The ashtrays can also be picked up from several locations free-of-charge, including information kiosks, the SMEG/SMA shop and municipal sites open to the public such as the media library and the Stade Nautique Rainier III.
Moreover, several cigarette stub collection terminals or MégotBox can be found at the Monaco townhall, the Ecole Supérieure d’Arts Plastiques Pavillon Bosio, the Rainier III Academy, the Vidéothèque-Sonothèque José Notari, the Louis Notari Library, the Stade Nautique Rainier III, the Espace Léo Ferré, the Condamine Market and the Monte-Carlo Market.
If you’re a smoker or know someone who is, help keep Monaco clean and free from these small but environmentally dangerous objects by picking up a pocket ashtray and disposing of cigarettes correctly.
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Photo source: Mairie de Monaco