Seaweed Ashtrays Distributed on Bournemouth Beaches to Reduce Cigarette Litter

The move comes after 48,000 cigarette butts were found on beaches in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council area in just one month.

The ashtrays, which are designed to be portable and made from seaweed and plant-based materials to reduce plastic waste, are being handed out by campaign group Litter Free Dorset.

Emma Teasdale, a coordinator for Litter Free Dorset, said: "Cigarette butts contain micro plastics and leach toxins such as formaldehyde, nicotine, arsenic, lead, mercury, and chromium into the ground and our waterways." The ashtrays work by being filled with a small amount of sand, and then used to stub out cigarettes before being stood up in the sand.

When finished, the paper can be folded over and disposed of in the bin.

The group is also hosting pop-up events on beaches in the BCP Council area to educate beachgoers about the impact of cigarette litter.

The free ashtrays will also be distributed by RNLI lifeguards and BCP Council beachfront catering outlets.

Andrew Brown, BCP council seafront operations manager, said: "Our hardworking seafront team goes out in the early hours of every morning to ensure our beaches are safe and clean, often collecting many tonnes of waste from the beach." Litter Free Dorset is also encouraging people to attend their pop-up events at Branksome Chine Beach and Whitley Lake, which will take place at 19:00 BST.

The BBC has reported that the group is also looking to work with local businesses to encourage them to stop selling single-use plastics.

The project is an effort to reduce the impact of cigarette litter on the environment and the beaches, and to raise awareness of the damaging effects of discarded cigarette butts.

The use of seaweed-based ashtrays is a unique approach to the problem and may help to reduce the amount of litter on the beach.