The Ballot Bin launches in Hunstanton

Hunstanton Town Council today launched their initiative to reduce cigarette butt litter in the town.

Located just outside of the Town Hall, the Ballot Bin is a customisable ashtray which is proven to reduce cigarette butt litter by up to 50%.

Typically, they display a question and there are two answers with slots beneath them and the litter stacks up in the most popular answer. However, Hunstanton Town Council are casting votes for a donation to a local cause.

“You vote like you do in Tesco with their blue tokens. Here, you can vote for either the Day Centre or the Youth Club and whoever gets the most butts receives £100 from Hunstanton Town Council,” Cllr. Amanda Knight says.

Cigarette butts are the most common form of litter in the world, with an estimated 4.5 trillion cigarette butts discarded each year. Made from cellulose acetate, this type of plastic can take up to 13 years to break down naturally.

They are the greatest single source of marine litter, ranking higher than plastic bags and straws. They are commonly found in the stomachs of fish, birds, whales and other marine animals.

The initiative comes hot on the heels of the launch of new vegan and eco-friendly products at the Tourist Information Centre. These include natural deodorants, soy candles, bamboo and plastic-free toiletries and bio-degradable dog poo bags.

Hunstanton Town Council declared a climate emergency in August of this year following a recommendation from their newly formed Environment Working Party.

The motion makes climate change a top priority for the council and they will work with the community to develop new strategies and plans to help reduce carbon emissions.

Amanda, Chair of the Environment Working party, adds: “Our new initiative is to be a plastic-free council. Everything is vegan, palm oil free, and, where possible, sourced from the UK. Everything is plastic free with the exception of some lunch bags which are made from recycled water bottles.”

The Tourist Information Centre is located on The Green and is open 9:30am to 4pm Monday to Saturday and Sunday 11am to 4:30pm.

A selection of products available to purchase from the Tourist Information Centre.