Butt Free Australia

In this issue:

• Butt Littering. It's Not a Good Look.
• Butt FREE City 2010
• 'Not a Good Look' website
• Reduced fire risk cigarettes
• Beechworth - Winner National Tidy Town 2009/10
• Butt Free Australia - a new approach to butt littering

Butt Littering. It's Not a Good Look.

Butt Free Australia launched the innovative 'Not a Good Look' awareness campaign 29 March, in response to its comprehensive behavioural research findings to help change cigarette butt littering behaviour. The 'Not a Good Look' campaign focuses on litterers taking personal responsibility for their cigarette butts, and uses photographs of real people being caught in the act of butt littering, as if by CCTV. The message suggests littering butts is 'Not a Good Look' for neither litterer nor the area being littered. It encourages the broader community to reassess its attitudes to cigarette butt littering and reminds smokers to 'PLEASE BUTT IT, THEN BIN IT®'. The campaign was launched initially across billboard and indoor venue advertising, but will be applied to ongoing activities such as a community service announcement, a dedicated website and the local government - partnered Butt FREE City campaign. Butt Free Australia is the trading name of the Butt Littering Trust

Butt FREE City 2010

In partnership with nine champion cities, the Butt FREE City 2010 campaign will encourage litterers to take responsibility for their cigarette butts, and empower people sick of seeing cigarette butts everywhere to do the same. Butt FREE City 2010 activities include the launch of the 'Not a Good Look' website, which will highlight serious impacts of butt littering, offer informative emails to pass onto friends and send out free personal ashtrays to those who know they shouldn't drop butts, yet still do. Partner cities will deliver grass roots aspects of the campaign activities such as face-to-face education on city streets, and gaining written commitment from smokers to 'PLEASE BUTT IT, THEN BIN IT®'. Butt FREE City 2010 launches 17 May in Brisbane, Canberra. Gosford, Melbourne, Mildura, Parramatta, Port Adelaide Enfield, Townsville and Wollongong.

‘Not a Good Look’ website

The 'Not a Good Look' website, launching in time for Butt FREE City 2010, offers a unique yet simple tool for cigarette butt littering behaviour change. Butt Free Australia's recent behavioural research into why people litter their butts, revealed that most people litter without thinking. While many are embarrassed about littering, others need to be asked to think about butt littering and what impact it's having on the environment. The website has been developed in direct response to these attitudes but also harnesses a wider frustration in the community at the prevalence of butt litter. The homepage ask visitors to identify themselves as one of two groups: 1. Know you shouldn't drop em? 2. Sick of seeing these everywhere? These options will then lead visitors through education about the impact of butt littering and address the excuses often raised to rationalise it. The site then offers solutions including the posting of a free personal ashtray. There'll be a number of other actions visitors can take such as asking a business to install a butt bin, sending an email to a friend, or downloading a poster to put up at work. Register for a website launch reminder: notagoodlook.com.au

Reduced fire risk cigarettes

While no cigarette is fire safe, new Australian safety standards mandating the introduction of 'reduced fire risk cigarettes' came into effect in 23 March. All cigarettes manufactured in, or imported into Australia on or after that date must be reduced fire risk cigarettes. From 23 September 2010 all cigarettes supplied in Australia must be reduced fire risk. According to ACCC's Product Safety Australia website, it's a myth to assume that reduced fire risk cigarettes will prevent fires: "The fact is that reduced fire risk cigarettes can still cause fires. Smoking reduced fire risk cigarettes only reduces the risk and does not eliminate it. Always put out a lit cigarette responsibly and dispose of it so that it does not create litter of the risk of fire". Simply visit our blog page for more information.

Beechworth - Winner National Tidy Town 2009/10

Beechworth in North-East Victoria has been named winner of the Keep Australia Beautiful Tidy Towns Awards 2009/10. As well as taking out the overall title, Beechworth were winners of the Dame Phyllis Frost Litter Prevention Award, the Energy Innovation Award and received a commendation in the Heritage & Culture Category. Well done to Beechworth and all other finalists from around Australia. In his introduction of Butt Free Australia's Chair Ian Coles to present the Litter Prevention Award, National Executive Director Scott Lyall announced Keep Australia Beautiful was pleased to be joining Butt Free Australia to produce a Community Service Announcement. Based on the 'Not a Good Look' campaign imagery, the 30 & 15 second commercials will be released by Keep Australia Beautiful National to highlight the cigarette butt littering issue. For more information, click here to view KAB's media release.

Butt Free Australia - a new approach to butt littering