Protect the sea with your pocket ashtray

The Principality runs the scheme every summer. The “Monaco Zéro Mégot (No Butts)” scheme, launched by Monaco Town Council in cooperation with the Direction du Tourisme et des Congrès (Tourism and Convention Department – DTC) and the Société Monégasque d’Assainissement (Monaco Sanitation Company – SMA), is back for the summer season.

The aim is to raise awareness among residents and tourists in the fight against pollution, from cigarette butts in particular.

According to the Centre d’Information sur l’Eau (Water Information Centre), of the 11 billion cigarette butts thrown on the ground worldwide, 40% end up in the oceans. Each cigarette butt takes an average of 12 years to completely break down, and can pollute up to 500 litres of water.

This is why Monaco Town Hall, the DTC and the SMA met up at Larvotto beach, to distribute pocket ashtrays, as part of Environment Day.

SMA and DTC staff will be taking turns throughout the summer to continue handing out ashtrays in different parts of the Principality. You can also pick them up free of charge at several DTC information kiosks, at the SMEG / SMA shop (11, rue Guillaume Apollinaire) and at municipal sites that are open to the public, such as the Médiathèque (Media Library) or the Stade Nautique Rainier III.

You can also dispose of your cigarette butts in MégotBoxes, which are situated in front of Monaco Town Hall, the Ecole Supérieure d’Arts Plastiques – Pavillon Bosio, the Académie Rainier III, the Vidéothèque et Sonothèque José Notari, the Bibliothèque Louis Notari, the Stade Nautique Rainier III, the Espace Léo Ferré and the La Condamine and Monte-Carlo markets.

These MégotBoxes make it possible to collect but also recycle your cigarette butts.