Ashtrays and Butt Bins

Possibly the most affordable but important piece of equipment you’ll need to cope with smoking litter outside your premises are Butt Bins. Unless you encourage customers to use cigarette litter disposal points you may end up with a messy floor outside your premises. Not only is this unsightly, but you could find yourself in trouble with Environmental Health.

Reusing your current ashtrays
Not such a bad idea if you have your own seated beer garden – and it will save you a few pounds, but if your smokers will be out on the pavement you may prefer to use something that can’t be knocked over and broken so easily. You’ll also need to empty these much more regularly.

Butt Bins
It is possible to buy a butt bin for just a few pounds and most need no more than a couple of screws to install.

In fact Butt Bins can be fixed to posts and the floor as well as walls and freestanding versions that can be moved around are also available. They also come in a huge array of colours and designs, so even if your premises is a listed building in a conservation area, there should be something out there that will be acceptable.

When choosing a butt bin think about:
Location – Where are you going to put it? How much space is available? and is it easy to see and use?

Quality - remember that this will be out in all weathers and needs to resist the ravages of time, climate and customers who use it as a bin for general rubbish as well as cigarette butts. Buy the strongest steel version you can afford. Good quality wall mounted butt bins are available from several retailers for around £50 - 70.

Maintenance – how many times you are willing to clean and empty it? Again steel is simple to keep clean and the bigger you buy the less maintenance is required. Also look for easy release mechanisms or clever systems that make emptying quicker and cleaner.

Permissions – You may need to obtain planning permission just to fix a butt bin to the front of your premises. Check with your local council.

TIP – To avoid the unpleasant smell of burning filters, pour a little water into the bin to extinguish any smouldering materials.

OTHER LITTER SOLUTIONS

Sand buckets/bins
A simple, cheap and easy solution that can drastically reduce the chance of fires. Just put out (fire-resistant) containers filled with sand and encourage your smokers to push their butts into the sand, when they are finished. The sand can be sieved through occasionally to remove the butts and the sand reused.

Stubbing plates
If you already have large bins they can often have stubbing plates fitted to them. These are relatively quick and cheap to use but be aware that customers may need some encouragement to put their butts into a ‘normal’ bin - even if they’ve stubbed them properly – as they tend to be worried about causing fires.

'Pocket Ashtrays'
Pocket ashtrays are heatproof pouches or boxes which, when closed, swiftly extinguish butts so that they can be disposed of in a normal waste bin. These are particularly useful if you’re landlocked and have no dedicated outdoor areas for customers to use. Offer ashtrays (and umbrellas if it’s raining) as smokers go outside and ask them to return them when they come back in.

Just the novelty should be enough for customers to have a go – but be careful to collect them all back in again or you’ll run out very quickly.

Click here for a list of manufacturers.