I'd like to share a story about John, the manager at The Grove, West Seattle Inn. John contacted us after seeing this article on the West Seattle Blog about the Hold On To Your Butts (HOTYB) initiative to reduce cigarette litter. Here's how he described the small tweak he made to accommodate smokers at The Grove that has really changed littering behavior.
"I was dealing with the same problem (of cigarette litter) on the streets and sidewalks around our property...I purchased 2 receptacles and mounted them to a couple of the parking sign posts along the sidewalk then posted some signs regarding the danger and pollution caused by throwing the butts on the ground...The response was amazing. I went from cleaning up a couple of hundred butts every couple of weeks to about five butts on the ground. Even though it is not my responsibility to keep the sidewalks clean, I just had to do something to help out."
This story challenges the misconception that "smokers don't care about the environment". We liked his initiative, so we brought him HOTYB stickers whose bright colors which will help increase awareness of the ash cans. He liked the design of our ash cans, and how easy they are to lock and empty, so he purchased an official Surfrider HOTYB ash can from us.
Thanks, John, for sponsoring cigarette disposal can #1 in Seattle. We are so glad to be partnered with you as we move towards increased impact in the community. We'd like to put up 19 more cans by March, so if you are interested in buying a cigarette litter can to prevent water pollution, please contact us at hotyb@seattle.surfrider.org.
