By Howard Goldstein
With the street as the last public refuge for smokers, the already impressive quantity of cigarette butts that litter sidewalks and find their way into South Shore bays may increase.
The solution proposed by SPLASH (Stop Littering Polluting And Save Harbors) is simple: provide more ashtrays.
"There aren't a lot of places to throw your cigarette outdoors," said Gary Smith, head of the Bellmore-Wantagh chapter of the Freeport-based marine protection group.
Cigarette butts do not biodegrade, contain a host of toxic chemicals and, like everything else thrown on any street south of Westbury, eventually find their way into storm drains and wash out into South Shore bays.
"Most people on the South Shore want to protect and restore the bay," Smith said. "It's just a matter of awareness. We think that if disposal units were convenient and accessible, most smokers would rather throw their cigarettes in a bucket instead of the bay."
With this in mind, SPLASH has organized the Butt Bucket Campaign to provide cigarette butt cans to merchants throughout Bellmore, Wantagh, Merrick, Seaford, Freeport and Baldwin.
SPLASH's success lies in its community approach to pollution. For this campaign, ACE hardware has agreed to sell SPLASH professional butt bucket cans at cost.
SPLASH will then sell the buckets to merchants, also at cost (about $25 for a professional butt bucket, $5 to $10 for a cheaper, more generic container) and deliver them to anyone who wants one.
Smith said that he has spoken with merchants and bar/restaurant owners in many areas, and there is near universal support for the program.
"It's win-win for everyone," said Bellmore SPLASH member Ed Sheehan.
"The streets stay clean, businesses look more professional and accomodate outdoor smokers, and less pollution enters the bay," he said.
Butt buckets also come with the SPLASH logotype sticker.
"Hopefully, we'll get some new members," said Smith. "But the main thing will just be to boost awareness. If people realize that using the buckets will really help the Great South Bay, I think they'll be very successful."
