Teaming up to bin the butts at Portsmouth’s Hard Interchange

The Hard Interchange is the busiest entrance to Portsmouth and greets 9.3 million visitors every year via the Isle of Wight Catamaran, Gosport Ferry, Portsmouth Harbour train station and the bus station.

Reports of cigarette butt littering have left local organisations no choice but to act and encourage visitors to dispose of their butts correctly.

As a result, a litter pick will take place at The Hard Interchange (meeting outside Portsmouth Harbour train station), on Friday November 17 at 10am.

This event will be supported by children from Cottage Grove Primary school and local volunteers in light of launching the new behaviour change campaign, Bin Your Butt.

The campaign will focus on encouraging all residents and visitors to take responsibility and care of the area, protect their environment and improve the first impression other visitors will have of the city.

Portsmouth City Council is asking visitors to consider the consequences of littering and to think twice before throwing it away.

Cllr Dave Ashmore, Cabinet member for Environmental Services said, "Not only are the cigarette butts unpleasant to see, but research has shown that harmful chemicals leaked from littered butts which can be toxic to sea creatures.

"I am pleased to see action being taken to tackle litter at the Hard Interchange and to keep it that way."

The campaign launch will also include the placement of ballot bins for cigarette butts. These will feature engaging polls to encourage smokers to put out their butts and vote as they dispose of them.

Bianca Carr, CEO of the Final Straw Foundation, said: "Cigarettes are somehow like an invisible litter – a lot of people just don’t seem to think that throwing a butt on the floor is littering.

"We’ve found that litter like this encourages people to drop more litter, so we are excited that this new campaign will tackle cigarette litter head on and make a positive difference to this busy central area and reduce the amount of smoking-related waste that ends up in the sea."

Cllr Matthew Winnington, Cabinet member for Health, Wellbeing and Social Care at PCC, said, "We already know how detrimental smoking is for our health, but it is important to be reminded of the impact on our environment.

"I look forward to this campaign encouraging people to think twice about the damage cigarette butts cause, both to us and nature."

To take part in the litter pick, visit https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/final-straw-foundation/t-moqqlkv

If you have any questions, email [email protected]