Watershed Management Bureau

    Carry It- Don't Bury It Campaign

Actions to Help

Whether or not you smoke, there are steps you can take to keep our beaches from becoming huge ashtrays.

• If you smoke, please don't litter. Carry around a piece of foil or an empty aluminum container to put your cigarette butts in when you are away from an ashtray.
  
• When on Hampton Beach this summer, use the new cigarette butt disposal stations.
  
• Participate in or organize a local litter cleanup and make sure that picking up cigarette butts is part of that effort. Raising awareness of the issue helps. For more information on organized cleanups, contact the Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation at (603) 431-0260.
  
• If you own or work at a public business, consider placing a cigarette butt receptacle in front of your entrance. While making it more convenient for smokers to do the right thing, this will also decrease your daily cleanup efforts.
  
• If you know smokers, try to educate them on the amount of cigarette butts that are around and how long it takes butts to biodegrade.
  
• Consider asking local officials to take a more active role in the issue. In addition to state law, most New Hampshire communities have an ordinance prohibiting litter, including cigarettes. Unfortunately, these ordinances are not enforced as much as they could be.
  
• Don't flush cigarette butts down the toilet. They do not biodegrade and may clog your septic system or sewer lines. (Failed septic systems and sewer lines are a leading cause of beach and water contamination.)