Fewer people smoking, but more butts collected: Downtown Vancouver BIA

The Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association's clean-up crew focused its efforts on picking up discarded cigarette butts and collected 75 pounds' worth within the span of three weeks.

Joshua Davidson, interim director of operations for Downtown Van, said the public needs to be aware that cigarette butts can stick around for up to 25 years.

“It's not just paper. It's not just going to disintegrate with the rain. They're going to stay around,” he said. “Most of these butts end up on the floor, making our city feel not as clean, not as safe. And many end up in our water systems, into the ocean. It’s extremely toxic to aquatic life.”

The BIA did something similar in 2019, when its clean team members picked up 57 pounds' worth of butts over the course of one month.

Yet, there are fewer smokers now than before. According to the University of Waterloo, the B.C. smoking rate in 2017 was 15.6 per cent. In 2020, it dropped to 7.7 per cent. 

“We need more receptacles to collect cigarette butts properly," Davidson said.

In an email to CTV News, the city said there are about 40 cigarette butt receptacles in the downtown area.

It has been piloting various bins and is continuing to test new models.

City Coun. Peter Meiszer lives downtown and fumes when he sees discarded butts.

“I find it very frustrating. I don't like seeing litter anywhere in our beautiful city and I know that it's our BIAs working as hard as they can – as well as city crews – to clean it up. But (I'm) just really, really hoping that people will take a moment, you know, have pride in our city and do what they can to ensure that it's litter free and beautiful for everybody to enjoy,” he told CTV News.

He said the city sees an annual average of 71 fires sparked by discarded butts, warning it is a fire risk, in addition to the environmental impacts.

The city is providing free pocket ashtrays at various locations to encourage smokers to keep their butts rather than throwing them on the ground.

LITTER OF VAPES GOING UP

The BIA clean team is also seeing discarded vaping material.

“Interestingly, with vaping on the rise, we're finding lots of disposable batteries and vapes. So, that's really it's creeping up behind the cigarette butts,” Davidson said. “Many vapes these days, the affordable ones are disposable, so there's no real incentive to buy it and (reuse), including adding the oil. They're just being thrown away.”

He said there may soon be a pilot program to address this issue.