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                    Cigarette butt disposal

                    Cigarette butt bin attached to a larger litter bin
                    Businesses have a legal responsibility to manage the litter generated by their business. This includes collecting, storing and disposing of the cigarette butts littered by staff, customers, clients and visitors to your business – even if they are dropped outside your property boundary.

                    ​​​​​​On this page:


                    Your legal responsibilities

                    Our Environment Local Law requires all businesses to:

                    • store waste material, including cigarettes, in an approved container
                    • maintain the cleanliness of the area around their premises.

                    Penalties of up to $500 apply to businesses who fail to comply with these requirements.

                    Under the Environment Protection Act 2017, fines of up to $3698 can apply for incorrect disposal of a cigarette butt.

                    Did you know?
                    Up to two-thirds of all cigarette butts are discarded on roads, footpaths and green spaces. Most end up in Melbourne’s waterways, making up about one-third of the one billion items of litter entering our waterways each year. Cigarette filters are made of cellulose acetate, a non-biodegradable plastic which leach chemicals in soil and water that becomes toxic to marine life.

                    Preventing cigarette butt litter

                    Your business can help prevent cigarette butt litter with the following:

                    • Provide suitable receptacles at your premises for the disposal of cigarette butt litter, ensuring they are inside the building line. 
                    • Display a ‘Butt it, then Bin it!’ sticker or sign.
                    • Educate your staff and customers about the correct disposal of cigarette butts.
                    • If butts are littered outside your premises, clean them up. Sweep them into a rubbish bin and not into the gutter.

                    Providing appropriate butt litter bins for your business is one way to make it easy for people to dispose of their butts properly and to meet your legal responsibilities. Once the bins are installed, it is essential that they are regularly emptied and cleaned so they operate efficiently.


                    Cigarette butt calculator

                    Use our cigarette butt calculator to estimate how many butts you'll need to dispose of. Once you have an idea of the volume of butts you'll be dealing with and how often you might need to clear it, you can order the right bin for your needs.

                    Butt bin information

                    Types of butt bin

                    Freestanding ashtrays

                    Freestanding ashtrays provide a safe and cost effective way of collecting cigarette litter. Many can also double as bollards.

                    Wall/ post mounted ashtrays

                    These ashtrays feature efficient butting-out surfaces with holes for cigarette disposal. They can be placed at any desired height and can be easily relocated to where smokers congregate.

                    You may need a permit to install a wall-mounted ashtray. Contact us for more information.

                    Furniture ashtrays

                    These units with in-built receptacles for cigarette litter are used for outdoor environments.

                    Windproof ashtrays

                    Most appropriate for outdoor café and restaurant environments, enclosed windproof ashtrays provide diners with a table-top alternative to dropping their butts on the ground.

                    Personal ashtrays

                    Personal ashtrays are designed to fit in your pocket or handbag. They encourage smokers to take personal responsibility for their waste.

                    Trans-Port-Able ashtrays

                    These ashtrays are shaped like a cup and are designed to fit in the cup-holder of your car, truck, boat, etc.

                    Street litter bins

                    The City of Melbourne provides street litter bins, many of which have a butt-out surface on the top. Smokers are encouraged to grind out their butt on the surface at the top of the bin and then place the butt right inside the bin. This will stop lit butts creating fires in the bins and reduce the risk of butts being blown away to create more litter.

                    Butt bin suppliers

                    Ashtrays: Wall-mounted, post-mounted, free standing

                    ​Company name​Address​Phone/fax numbers​Email address
                    ​No BuTTs​PO Box 1010
                    Williamstown VIC 3016

                    ​Phone: 1300 662 888

                    Fax: 03 9399 8144

                    info@nobutts.com.au
                    ​Butt ​Out Australia
                    Butt Out Australia Pty Ltd PO Box 2007
                    Hotham Hill VIC 3051

                    ​Phone: 1800 358 258

                    sales@buttoutaustralia.com.au
                    EnviroPoles​210 Albert Road Albert Park VIC 3206

                    ​Phone: 1300 4 BUTTS

                    Fax: 03 8623 2859

                    info@enviropoles.com
                    ​Maloney Marketing​PO Box 627
                    Emerald VIC 3782

                    ​Phone: 03 5968 6200

                    Mobile: 0418 362 618

                    Fax:  03 5968 5978

                    gabby@internetworks.com.au
                    ​AP Furniture Agencies​PO Box 121
                    Avoca Beach  NSW  2251

                    ​Phone: 02 4382 4025

                    Mobile: 0402 346 597

                    pamelapigott@bigpond.com
                    ​Draffin-Inwel​PO Box 165
                    Bayswater VIC 3153

                    ​Phone: 03 9720 1033

                    Fax: 03 9720 5508

                    inwel@draffin.com.au
                    ​CIG BIN​44 Rolling Hills Road
                    Chirnside Park VIC 3116

                    ​Paul Funnell
                    Mobile: 0403 123 405

                    David Funnell
                    Mobile: 0417 584 838

                    Fax: 03 9735 9722

                    paulfunnell@methven.com.au
                    ​Tilley Street Furniture​Unit 22
                    25 Conquest Way
                    Hallam VIC 3803

                    ​Phone: 03 9796 3363

                    Mobile: 0413 497 050

                    Fax: 03 9796 3390

                    a.e.tilley@bigpond.com
                    ​Eco-Elegance ​PO Box 271
                    Tullamarine VIC 3043

                    ​Phone: 1300 651 560

                    Fax: 03 9335 3144

                    corton@plctrade.com.au
                    ​KESAB Environmental Solutions​214 Grange Road
                    Flinders Park  SA  5025

                    ​Louise Stewart
                    Phone: 08 8234 7255

                    John Phillips
                    Phone: 0413 877 875

                    Fax: 08 8234 7266

                    john@kesab.asn.au 

                    admin@kesab.asn.au

                    ​SETON Australia ​PO Box 395
                    Regents Park  NSW  2143

                    ​Phone: 1800 651 173

                    Fax: 1800 678 796

                    seton_aust@seton.com
                    ​Kareela Distributions​56 Tenth Avenue
                    Raymond Island  VIC  3880

                    ​Phone: 03 5156 7713

                    Garry Kenner 
                    Mobile: 0438 567 713

                    Fax: 03 5156 7713

                    garrykenner@netspace.net.au

                     

                    Windproof ashtrays

                    ​Company name​Address​Phone/fax numbers​Email address
                    ​No BuTTs ​PO Box 1010
                    Williamstown VIC 3016

                    ​Phone: 1300 662 888

                    Fax: 03 9399 8144

                    info@nobutts.com.au

                     

                    Personal ashtrays

                    ​Company name​​Address​​Phone/fax numbers​Email address
                    No BuTTs​​PO Box 1010
                    Williamstown VIC 3016

                    ​​Phone: 1300 662 888

                    Fax: 03 9399 8144

                    info@nobutts.com.au
                    ​Stelco (Printable Pocket Ashtray)​PO Box 87
                    Wahroonga NSW 2076

                    ​Phone: 02 9963 0654

                    Mobile: 0402 075 000

                    Fax: 02 9489 8699 

                    sales@stelco.com.au
                    Productology​PO Box 20
                    Vermont VIC  3133

                    ​Phone: 03 9874 2100

                    Fax: 03 9874 2177

                    david@productology.com.au 

                    Reporting issues

                    You can use our online forms below to report cigarette litter issues in public spaces, including street litter that needs to be cleaned up, illegally dumped cigarette waste and issues with public cigarette butt bins.

                    If there is any danger to the public or public space, please call us immediately on 03 9658 9658.

                    Track the progress of an existing reported issue.
                    Enter report reference number:
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