If you’ve ever wondered what the most littered item was in Vancouver, you don’t have to look any further than a butt, a cigarette butt, that is, as smokers have all but turned downtown Vancouver sidewalks into ashtrays.
A post on X from Downtown Van (the local business improvement association) shed some light on how bad the situation has gotten in Vancouver.
According to the post, in just over the span of three weeks, the Downtown Van Clean Team collected over 75 pounds of cigarette butts in the downtown core alone.
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The post added that cigarette butts are the number one most littered item in Vancouver and that each day, approximately 450,000 butts are dropped on the street. That number dropped from 1 million per day in 2017, but Downtown Van says, “That’s 450,000 too many!”
In just 3 weeks, the Downtown Van Clean Team collected over 75lbs of cigarette butts in the downtown core. They are the #1 most littered item in Vancouver, & approximately 1 mill are dropped on the street each day. Stop dropping your butts & use a garbage can or pocket ashtray! pic.twitter.com/h7Ego8mVWm
— Downtown Van (@downtownvan) October 12, 2023
Many have chimed in in response to the post.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim had a reminder for the public.
“Littering is illegal. And throwing cigarette butts on the ground is littering. That means if your butt ends up on the ground, you could be subject to a minimum fine of $250 up to $10,000.”
One X user said, “Nice try Vancouver, but even a $250 fine won’t change the habit of someone who can’t kick their habit. All you’ve done is gross the rest of us out.”
Councillor Peter Meiszner said he was very concerned about the amount of butts being littered and that he has “asked staff how we can get more receptacles installed downtown.”
Would more receptacles make any difference in the amount of butts littered downtown? Let us know in the comments.
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