I would like to propose a new "tax" on cigarettes. It used to be that people paid a deposit on their glass bottles. This was to encourage people to return them in order to use them again. Such an approach promotes recycling rather than wasting.
The "Butt Deposit" aims more at controlling litter. Smokers often, without a second's hesitation, throw their (often still lit) butt on the ground. Isn't this litter?
I don't have any psychological studies to support this, but I'm confident that people who throw cigarette butts on the ground 5-25 times a day are more likely to litter other items such as soda cans or beer bottles.
The proposed "Butt Deposit" would go something like this: You pay a fee (let's see $1) per cigarette butt. As long as you bring this in and return them, you never receive any penalties. Those who carelessly litter will be charged. If you happen to lose a butt, or threw one away, you have the option of finding someone else's butt and claiming their deposit.
Any thoughts?
Originally posted by kingdanwaIn the UK you can be fined £75 for dropping a cigarette butt.
I would like to propose a new "tax" on cigarettes. It used to be that people paid a deposit on their glass bottles. This was to encourage people to return them in order to use them again. Such an approach promotes recycling rather than wasting.
The "Butt Deposit" aims more at controlling litter. Smokers often, without a second's hesitation, throw th ...[text shortened]... option of finding someone else's butt and claiming their deposit.
Any thoughts?
Originally posted by kingdanwaSorry, I thought you meant something else by 'butt deposits'...but there certainly should be a law against it.
I would like to propose a new "tax" on cigarettes. It used to be that people paid a deposit on their glass bottles. This was to encourage people to return them in order to use them again. Such an approach promotes recycling rather than wasting.
The "Butt Deposit" aims more at controlling litter. Smokers often, without a second's hesitation, throw th ...[text shortened]... option of finding someone else's butt and claiming their deposit.
Any thoughts?
Originally posted by kingdanwaI thought you were talking about Shav there for a minute.
I would like to propose a new "tax" on cigarettes. It used to be that people paid a deposit on their glass bottles. This was to encourage people to return them in order to use them again. Such an approach promotes recycling rather than wasting.
The "Butt Deposit" aims more at controlling litter. Smokers often, without a second's hesitation, throw th ...[text shortened]... option of finding someone else's butt and claiming their deposit.
Any thoughts?
BUTT WAIT, There's more, yes for 19.95 you get TWO.....
Originally posted by kingdanwaI'm going to stock up on butts just in case you become prime minister.
I would like to propose a new "tax" on cigarettes. It used to be that people paid a deposit on their glass bottles. This was to encourage people to return them in order to use them again. Such an approach promotes recycling rather than wasting.
The "Butt Deposit" aims more at controlling litter. Smokers often, without a second's hesitation, throw th ...[text shortened]... option of finding someone else's butt and claiming their deposit.
Any thoughts?
Originally posted by kingdanwaI doubt this hypothesis.
I don't have any psychological studies to support this, but I'm confident that people who throw cigarette butts on the ground 5-25 times a day are more likely to litter other items such as soda cans or beer bottles.
I know a lot of smokers. I don't recall observing them pitching other trash on the ground, even in the absence of a convenient trash can.
Further, if you observe smokers, you will likely note that they will use ashtrays on top of trash cans if they are available.
Throwing butts on the ground in the absence of an ashtray is done out of sociological habit - that's just the way butts have always been disposed of. You'd probably do the same with peanut shells, or even dog [doodoo] if there wasn't a law requiring you to carry it around - not because you're a litterer, but because that's just the norm. I wouldn't conclude that somebody discarding peanut shells on the ground is more likely to discard a beer bottle on the ground. This habitual norm does not justify the littering; it explains why the inference that butt litterers are more likely to be litterers in general is an unsound one.
An alternate solution could be more public ash trays. Imagine if McDonald's didn't provide trash cans - you'd probably see a lot more fry boxes littering the ground. This is not to suggest that it is McDonald's responsibility to provide trash cans, but it is an observation that practical alternatives to deposits on fry boxes exist and work, and a similar solution could work for cigarette butts. Public ashtrays could be funded using whatever funds you would use to administer the deposit system.
What I like about your proposal is that it incentivizes clean-up of public grounds and creates an opportunity for unskilled labor. I would consider collecting butts at a rate of $1 per butt myself. It's more practical than collecting cans or bottles, I get paid and your streets get cleaned up.
I agree with kingdanwa. This is one of my pet peeves. Smokers are pigs in general. They don't care who they offend or bother with either the smoke they exhale on others or the garbage they throw around society. On a daily basis I have to watch smokers fling there butts out the windows of their cars and drop them in the streets. Thanks for letting the rest of the world live in your garbage!
The only statement DoctorScribbles made that made any sense was the last one. An incentive to clean up and avoid the mess altogether. Ash trays in McDonalds!? F'ng brilliand DS, just f'ng brilliant!
Originally posted by Frank BurnsDirty Frank, I didn't suggest that ash trays ought to be put in McDonald's. I was appealing to an analogy. If you'd spend more time learning the technique of analogy and less time complaining about what's wrong with the world, you might be able to gain better insight into its problems and construct solutions accordingly.
The only statement DoctorScribbles made that made any sense was the last one. An incentive to clean up and avoid the mess altogether. Ash trays in McDonalds!? F'ng brilliand DS, just f'ng brilliant!
Originally posted by DoctorScribblesThis point needs to be considered further. When no ash trays are convenient, most smokers toss the butt on the ground. The considerate ones will take the 2 seconds to put it out. But even they leave their debris. This routine conditions them, so that even when ash trays are readily available, they are often ignored.
Throwing butts on the ground in the absence of an ashtray is done out of sociological habit - that's just the way butts have always been disposed of.
Many ash trays are located 10-15 feet away from main intrances to business (no doubt to keep the smokers a little farther away). However, most smokers will take that last drag as they walk past the ash tray towards the door. As they pull open the door handle, the blindly toss the butt behind them, regardless of who or what is there. Everyday I see people toss their butts within feet of a public ash tray.
What you call the "socialogical habit" of throwing butts on the ground in the abscence of an ashtray becomes the norm in the presence of ashtrays.
Originally posted by kingdanwaIt's hard to debate such generalities.
However, most smokers will take that last drag as they walk past the ash tray towards the door. As they pull open the door handle, the blindly toss the butt behind them, regardless of who or what is there.
How many smokers are there? as you have seen most of them.
Most of the "facts" in this thread seem made up.