Free Ashtrays For Smokers On Calpe Beaches

CALPE council has begun an information and awareness campaign to eliminate the discarding of cigarette butts on the beaches.

The objective is to reduce this type of waste because it is one of the most difficult to treat and one of the most harmful to the environment.

The campaign is being shared on social networks and at entrance points of the beaches, with posters saying “The beach is not an ashtray”. The posters explain the consequences of dumping cigarette butts on the beaches, detailing that each cigarette butt can contaminate between eight and 10 litres of sea water, and that they are the main source of waste found in the oceans along with bottles and plastic wrappers.

To reduce the amount of discarded butts, disposable ashtrays are being given away.

These can be collected at the tourist information points located on the Arenal-Bol and La Fossa beaches, and at the Las Salinas tourist office beside the salt lake.

The councillor for the Environment, Pere Moll, said “the department of the environment is determined to have a great impact this summer on environmental education, which is one of our factors for achieving the blue flag. We started by raising awareness about the problems of cigarette butts on the beaches but we will continue with other campaigns related to posidonia (sea flora) and waste management”.

Every minute, eight million cigarette butts end up decomposing in natural areas, releasing more than 7,000 toxic substances, according to research by the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC). The butts are made of cellulose acetate, a component derived from petroleum – which are in other terms – non-biodegradable plastic materials. Data suggests those left on the ground take between 18 months and 10 years to decompose.

Currently, 44 of the 81 beaches in Alicante province are smoke free zones, including Javea and Marge Roig beach in Denia.