The Great Lethbridge Buttpick
Helen Schuler Nature Centre launches an initiative aimed at cleaning up cigarette butts
Every year, shoreline cleanups across Canada uncover a common culprit: cigarette butts. They are consistently the most common item collected in clean ups, and Lethbridge is no exception. In 2024, 35 per cent of the items picked up (by number) in the River Valley were butts. It is likely that many were dropped on the ground in the city, and washed to the river by storm drains. Throughout July, Lethbridge residents can take a stand against this ashen scourge. Join the Helen Schuler Nature Centre’s newest campaign – The Great Lethbridge Buttpick!
Cigarette filters contain cellulose acetate. It’s a plastic which does not properly break down under normal environmental conditions. Studies have also shown other compounds in cigarette butts (including nicotine, pesticide residues and hydrocarbons) can seep into soil and aquatic ecosystems. The well-known fire danger of improperly extinguished cigarettes is also a concern.
“Even if you don’t smoke or litter, cigarette butts are everyone’s problem,” says Chelsea Sherbut, Resource Development Coordinator at the Helen Schuler Nature Centre. “They end up in our waterways, parks and sidewalks. That’s why this initiative matters. It’s about all of us taking responsibility for the spaces we share.”
Residents can pick up cigarette butts in their neighbourhood, parks and the River Valley. Volunteers should use gloves and trash pickers for safe collection. Until July 31st, collected cigarette butts can be deposited into the marked bins at any of the three Yard Waste and Recycling Depots.
As an added incentive, those who bring collected butts to the depots will receive the secret code word and earn their Buttsbane badge for the Verdant Quest challenge. There are great prizes to be won! Verdant Quest wraps up July 31st, full details can be found at Nature.Lethbridge.ca/quest.
Outside of the month-long Buttpick campaign, extinguished cigarette butts should be tossed in garbage bins or residential black bins. A limited number of pocket ashtrays are also available at the Nature Centre for those resolving to pocket their butts (one per person).
“We understand it’s not always easy or convenient to properly dispose of cigarette butts. That’s why we’re especially grateful to those who take the time to do it right. It really makes a difference,” says Sherbut.
