‘No Butts Day': Hongkongers collect over 20,000 cigarette butts as part of global environmental campaign
According to a Monday press release, the anti-plastic pollution NGO partnered with Yeungs – a plastic waste reduction enthusiast – to raise awareness about plastic cigarette filters and toxic pollution.
Participants were encouraged to pick locations around Hong Kong and collect cigarette butts, submitting the locations and numbers collected to the Plastic Free Seas website.
Participant Janice Baird told HKFP on Tuesday that she was shocked by her experience. 'I didn't think I'd find anything because [the road] looked really clean, and I was so surprised to find them everywhere, between cracks in the pavement, in the bushes, just everywhere,' she said.
'It was both a big learning experience, but also devastating,' she added.
Another participant, Natasha Chawla, said she collected over 600 cigarette butts around her Lohas Park neighbourhood with a friend.
Microplastic risk
In 2023, there were over 577,000 daily conventional cigarette smokers in Hong Kong, consuming an average of 12.1 cigarettes daily, according to the Census and Statistics Department.
'Even if only 15 per cent of the butts are improperly disposed [of] – and that's a low estimate – it would mean that over one million butts are ending up in our environment every day in Hong Kong,' said Dana Winograd, executive director of Plastic Free Seas, in the press release.
Winograd told HKFP that many participants were not aware that cigarette butts are made of plastic and how 'No Butts Day' served as an educational awareness campaign. 'My main focus is to raise awareness of the fact that these are plastic and they don't belong in the environment,' she said.
The 'No Butts Day' campaign originated in the Netherlands in 2019, and was initially launched to raise awareness of the environmental costs of cigarette filters.
On Saturday, thousands of volunteers across 25 countries collected 964,000 cigarette butts from the environment, Plastic Free Seas said.
According to a report from Stopping Tobacco Organizations and Products, almost all cigarettes contain filters made of plastic. The global industry watchdog adds that the non-biodegradable filters break down into microplastics, potentially leaching chemicals – including heavy metals – into the environment.
The Hong Kong government does not currently have any policies regarding plastic cigarette filters, though littering is publishable by a fixed penalty of HK$3,000.
Authorities have, however, taken several measures to reduce plastic waste including a limited ban on single-use plastics starting in 2024.
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HKFP
19 hours ago
- HKFP
‘No Butts Day': Hongkongers collect over 20,000 cigarette butts as part of global environmental campaign
Hongkongers collected 22,012 discarded cigarette butts on Saturday, as 36 volunteers joined the global 'No Butts Day' environmental campaign for the first time, according to charity Plastic Free Seas. According to a Monday press release, the anti-plastic pollution NGO partnered with Yeungs – a plastic waste reduction enthusiast – to raise awareness about plastic cigarette filters and toxic pollution. Participants were encouraged to pick locations around Hong Kong and collect cigarette butts, submitting the locations and numbers collected to the Plastic Free Seas website. Participant Janice Baird told HKFP on Tuesday that she was shocked by her experience. 'I didn't think I'd find anything because [the road] looked really clean, and I was so surprised to find them everywhere, between cracks in the pavement, in the bushes, just everywhere,' she said. 'It was both a big learning experience, but also devastating,' she added. Another participant, Natasha Chawla, said she collected over 600 cigarette butts around her Lohas Park neighbourhood with a friend. Microplastic risk In 2023, there were over 577,000 daily conventional cigarette smokers in Hong Kong, consuming an average of 12.1 cigarettes daily, according to the Census and Statistics Department. 'Even if only 15 per cent of the butts are improperly disposed [of] – and that's a low estimate – it would mean that over one million butts are ending up in our environment every day in Hong Kong,' said Dana Winograd, executive director of Plastic Free Seas, in the press release. Winograd told HKFP that many participants were not aware that cigarette butts are made of plastic and how 'No Butts Day' served as an educational awareness campaign. 'My main focus is to raise awareness of the fact that these are plastic and they don't belong in the environment,' she said. The 'No Butts Day' campaign originated in the Netherlands in 2019, and was initially launched to raise awareness of the environmental costs of cigarette filters. On Saturday, thousands of volunteers across 25 countries collected 964,000 cigarette butts from the environment, Plastic Free Seas said. According to a report from Stopping Tobacco Organizations and Products, almost all cigarettes contain filters made of plastic. The global industry watchdog adds that the non-biodegradable filters break down into microplastics, potentially leaching chemicals – including heavy metals – into the environment. The Hong Kong government does not currently have any policies regarding plastic cigarette filters, though littering is publishable by a fixed penalty of HK$3,000. Authorities have, however, taken several measures to reduce plastic waste including a limited ban on single-use plastics starting in 2024.
HKFP
4 days ago
- HKFP
Existing donors: Accessing your account
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South China Morning Post
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Bring back the Hong Kong that eats together without table dividers
The other day, I had the pleasure of sitting down in a small local restaurant in Tai Wai to enjoy some dim sum with my wife and my son. It was a rather large table, and after a few minutes, another nice elderly couple came and sat across from us and ordered their meals. As we greeted each other, a conversation ensued. We didn't discuss anything too deep or life-changing, but our exchange was engaging and insightful and soon we were leaving, the experience having enhanced what was already a pretty good weekend meal with family. In contrast, although tables are also shared in the teahouse my family and I typically frequent, that restaurant still uses Covid-era dividers for shared tables . It occurs to me that this is one aspect where Hong Kong has yet to make a full comeback (like the few souls who still wear masks even when they are not sick) and needs to. It's not so much about letting the world know we beat Covid-19 and it didn't beat us; it's more about keeping an aspect of Hong Kong culture alive. Hongkongers have an amazing capacity for goodwill, kindness and building connections. Remember the public flats in the 1970s, when neighbours felt more like family members, or the local businesses and dai pai dong that once filled the streets in some of the more populated areas. People in this compact, robust city have always taken pride in caring for one another in ways I never knew possible. This type of engagement is a part of Hong Kong that cannot disappear for new generations. As parents or grandparents, we need to keep the tradition alive and underscore its importance to our children or grandchildren. Take down the barriers at the restaurant next time. Join another group at a large table if you can. Meet other interesting Hongkongers and be that much richer from the experience. These are experiences that make all of our lives richer.
