Cigarette butts are a real environmental scourge. Each cigarette butt thrown on the ground can take up to ten years to decompose, polluting the soil and oceans. To combat this problem, the Collectivité de Saint-Martin has decided to sign an agreement with the eco-organization ALCOME, a key player in reducing waste from tobacco products since 2021.
The objective is clear: reduce the presence of cigarette butts by 35% in public spaces by 2026 and achieve a 40% reduction in 2027. To achieve this, ALCOME is implementing several concrete actions. Awareness raising is a central element with the provision of educational tools to inform residents and the fight against places where illegally abandoned cigarette butts are concentrated (hotspots). The installation of ashtrays in public spaces also aims to limit inappropriate throwing, as well as the distribution of pocket ashtray. Finally, a financial support is planned for communities involved in this approach (tourist community €1,58/inhabitant/year compared to €1,08 per inhabitant/year for urban communities with a population of less than 50.000 inhabitants)
The contract signed between the Community and ALCOME, valid from 2025 to 2027, governs these actions and provides for coverage of the costs of collecting and recycling the cigarette butts collected. This collaboration is part of a broader effort to improve the cleanliness of public roads and preserve the local environment. _Vx
https://faxinfo.fr/en/environnement-saint-martin-sengage-contre-la-pollution-des-megots/
