Smokers in Stroud are being invited to settle one of sport’s great debates while helping to keep the town cleaner, thanks to the installation of a new interactive cigarette butt ballot bin in the town centre.
Stroud District Council has installed the innovative bin outside King Street Social Tap in a bid to tackle cigarette litter in one of the town’s worst-affected hotspots.
Rather than simply throwing away their cigarette ends, smokers can cast a “vote” by placing their butt into one of two compartments answering a question displayed on the front of the bin.
In a nod to its location outside the popular sports bar, the first question asks: Which is the better sport – darts or football?
The question will be changed regularly to keep the feature fresh and encourage continued use.
The location was chosen following a review involving councillors, officers from Stroud District Council and Stroud Town Council, along with the council’s street cleaning teams. The area outside King Street Social Tap was identified after attracting a high number of complaints and observations relating to discarded cigarette ends.
The butt ballot bin has been provided through the Gloucestershire Resources and Waste Partnership as part of wider efforts to reduce litter and encourage more responsible disposal.
Councillor Martin Pearcy, Chair of Stroud District Council’s Environment Committee, said: “Cigarette litter is one of the most common forms of litter we see in our town centres, and it can have a significant impact on both the environment and how our streets look and feel. Cigarette butts contain plastics and harmful chemicals that can pollute waterways and pose risks to wildlife if they’re not disposed of properly.
“This initiative is about encouraging small changes in behaviour that can make a big difference. By placing the bin in a hotspot and making it interactive, we hope to reduce litter in this area and create a cleaner, more welcoming town centre for everyone. This work directly supports our council plan priorities to protect our environment and support a thriving local economy.”
The council hopes the combination of the interactive voting feature and its placement in a known litter hotspot will significantly reduce discarded cigarette ends on King Street while encouraging better habits among smokers across the district.
