Environmental campaign "The Beach Is Not An Ashtray" launched by the Department of Beaches

With the risk of Covid-19 contamination, and environmental worries, an initiative has been launched to provide an eco ashtray to stop discarded cigarette butts plaguing the beaches.

THE Department of Beaches, in collaboration with Hidraqua, have launched the environmental campaign “The Beach Is Not An Ashtray”, in which health agents, beach assistants and civil protection volunteers will distribute ecological ashtrays in order to reduce cigarette butts on our beaches.
In a 2017 report by the NGO Ocean Conservancy, it is indicated that cigarette butts accounted for 13% of the total number of waste collected in its global environmental campaign.
The environmental report also stated that every year 6 billion cigarettes are smoked around the world and, of these, 4.5 billion are deposited in public spaces, which can travel thousands of kilometres and contaminate different ecosystems, including the oceans.
Aside from the environmental impacts, the ashtrays are being distributed among users of the beaches to help in the fight against the spread of Covid-19.
In addition to a visual impact, damage to marine fauna and the added risk of Covid-19, this environmental campaign will accomplish goals that have a positive impact on those that use the beaches.
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