The Flemish initiative Mooimakers which tackles littering and fly-tipping is touring the Belgian coast on a cargo bike to encourage smokers not to throw their cigarette butts on the ground or into drains.
Passers-by can leave their cigarette ends in a bin carried on the bike and receive a portable ashtray. For this awareness-raising campaign, Mooimakers is collaborating with the Flemish Waste Agency (OVAM) and the municipality of Middelkerke in West Flanders.
In July, the bike travelled through the municipalities of Coxyde, Le Coq and Ostend. In August, it is scheduled to cross Bredene, Wenduine, Blankenberge, Zeebruges and Knokke-Heist. A slogan will be publicised throughout the summer: "Whatever you throw on the ground, you'll find again."
An estimated 4.5 billion cigarette butts end up in the environment worldwide every year, while reports from OVAM show that cigarette butts account for 41% of waste in Flanders.
"As players in the fight against litter and illegal dumping, we feel responsible for drawing smokers' attention to the fact that throwing cigarette butts into nature is a major problem," explains Mooimakers spokesperson Jan Verheyen.
"Thanks to our cargo bike, we can go out and meet people and talk to them about the damage caused by cigarette butts."
