[Edited extract from public address]
Ricketts Point Beach Patrol conducts cigarette butt litter surveys to ascertain the quantity of butts discarded. Throughout 2018 we collected over 10,000 cigarette butts in the Ricketts Point beach area…..and that was only the ones got to and only once per month collections covering a small area of beach each time. If figures are extrapolated to cover the whole of the sanctuary it would be more likely double or triple that number, or even more.
Used cigarette butts are not just pieces of non-biodegradable plastic. They also contain the carcinogens, nicotine and toxins found in all tobacco products. One cigarette butt soaked in a litre of water for 96 hours leaches out enough toxins to kill half of the fresh or salt water fish exposed to them. Cellulose acetate fibres in a cigarette filter are thinner than sewing thread and a single filter contains more than 12,000 of these fibres.
The butts break down into individual fibres when soaked in water. We know that children and animals consume these pieces of toxicity, and that there are costs to the communities that must deal with them. So many cigarette butts tossed into the environment each year leach out chemicals that impact human health, and we have seen animals mistakenly eat them and feed them to their babies, who in turn die a slow and very agonising deaths.
Ricketts Point Beach Patrol operates under the auspices of both Marine Care Ricketts Point (www.marinecare.org.au), a not-for-profit group which works with Parks Victoria to protect the Sanctuary, and BeachPatrol Australia. People who join 3193BeachPatrol Ricketts Point are also encourage to join Marine Care Ricketts Point.
Sign online petition.
MORE:
Ricketts Point Beach Patrol
Website: https://www.beachpatrol.com.au/BeachGroups/3193
Join Ricketts Point Beach Patrol in calling to have smoking banned in all the surrounding areas of Ricketts Point Marine Sanctuary (including beach, car parks, park lands).
Ricketts Point Marine Sanctuary was established in 2003. Over the 15 years of its existence, the variety of marine, bird and indigenous plant life has increased dramatically at the Ricketts Point Marine Sanctuary.
It is increasingly becoming a breeding ground for numerous fish and marine life not seen in Port Phillip Bay for years. As a marine sanctuary, all marine animals and plant life are protected and may not be caught or removed from the Sanctuary.Ricketts Point Beach Patrol conducts cigarette butt litter surveys to ascertain the quantity of butts discarded. Throughout 2018 we collected over 10,000 cigarette butts in the Ricketts Point beach area…..and that was only the ones got to and only once per month collections covering a small area of beach each time. If figures are extrapolated to cover the whole of the sanctuary it would be more likely double or triple that number, or even more.
Used cigarette butts are not just pieces of non-biodegradable plastic. They also contain the carcinogens, nicotine and toxins found in all tobacco products. One cigarette butt soaked in a litre of water for 96 hours leaches out enough toxins to kill half of the fresh or salt water fish exposed to them. Cellulose acetate fibres in a cigarette filter are thinner than sewing thread and a single filter contains more than 12,000 of these fibres.
The butts break down into individual fibres when soaked in water. We know that children and animals consume these pieces of toxicity, and that there are costs to the communities that must deal with them. So many cigarette butts tossed into the environment each year leach out chemicals that impact human health, and we have seen animals mistakenly eat them and feed them to their babies, who in turn die a slow and very agonising deaths.
Ricketts Point Beach Patrol operates under the auspices of both Marine Care Ricketts Point (www.marinecare.org.au), a not-for-profit group which works with Parks Victoria to protect the Sanctuary, and BeachPatrol Australia. People who join 3193BeachPatrol Ricketts Point are also encourage to join Marine Care Ricketts Point.
Sign online petition.
MORE:
Ricketts Point Beach Patrol
Website: https://www.beachpatrol.com.au/BeachGroups/3193