It’s a small gesture with devastating consequences…
A single cigarette butt can contaminate up to 500 litres of water, yet thousands still end up on Monaco’s streets, beaches, and drains every day. In response, the Monegasque Government has launched a new awareness campaign aimed at tackling this persistent form of pollution, urging smokers to take responsibility for their waste without guilt, but with awareness.
Cigarette filters contain toxic chemicals that seep into soil and waterways, endangering marine life and harming the wider ecosystem. “For us, it’s the bane of our existence,” said one member of the SMA cleaning teams, who collect thousands of discarded butts daily. “We come by at noon, and an hour later it’s already a disaster.”
To help address the issue, the Town Hall and SMA have installed ashtrays throughout the Principality and distributed portable pocket ashtrays to make proper disposal easier. “We understand people want to take a break,” said a government representative. “The goal isn’t to shame smokers, but to remind them that each small effort helps preserve our shared public spaces.”
The new campaign’s visuals, simple, direct, and tinged with humour, will appear across Monaco’s streets, in the press, and on social media. Officials hope the message resonates: a cleaner, more respectful environment begins with a single choice, to stub it out responsibly.
Photo by Brian Yurasits
