The unsolved problem of cigarette littering
… and no improvement is in sight!
High costs for the municipalities & cities
Careless discarding of cigarettes blemishes the public space. The global population has been angered by this environmental pollution for years. In Switzerland f.e. it costs taxpayers 52.5 million CHF every year (FOEN 2011).
Endangering the nature
According to the Swiss Litter Report (2017/18), 43% of the total litter on lakeshore in Switzerland in summer is caused by cigarette butts.
On the Clean-up Day 2020, 52’000 cigarette butts were fished out of the lake at a shore site in Zurich (Zürich 2).
Litter laws have not been implemented
To combat this problem, littering laws have already been introduced in many places. Litterers are threatened with a fine (of up to CHF 100 in Switzerland). In practice, however, very few fines are actually issued or the littering laws are not implemented. As a result, smokers feel no pressure for changing their behaviour.
Causes
Cigarette littering is not a behavioural problem, but primarily a situational disposal problem!
Smokers do not litter if there is an ashtray available on-site.
An ashtray on-site is mandatory, as a burning cigarette must be extinguished immediately. It cannot be stored temporarily. For this reason, cigarette littering is fundamentally different from other forms of littering.
However, if the ashtray is missing on-site, littering begins.
Rather than a behavioural problem, it is in fact a situational disposal problem! The obvious solution is an ashtray to go!
Stationary ashtrays are not sufficient.
Many people smoke their cigarettes as long as they can. Meaning, when the train or tram arrives, they no longer take a diversion to dispose of the cigarette properly. A few metres of distance are enough for stationary solutions not to be used.
Our online shop is currently under construction. Soon you will be able to purchase the taketray directly via the website. Until then, please order the taketray using the form below. We will get in touch with you as soon as possible.
taketray GmbH
Freigutstrasse 26
CH-8002 Zurich