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  • Sheila's Shlog
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Freakin' Butt Flickers

7/28/2012

3 Comments

 
Picture
The improper disposal of cigarette butts is a major environmental and litter problem.  I have followed the research with a keen focus for the past decade.  You'll find an interesting report on cigarette litter on this website.

Today cigarette butts are identified as one of the largest environmental hazards we face on the planet.  From Texas to Dubai, Italy to Indonesia, governments are being warned of this major unchecked pollution.  The numbers are truly staggering.  The cleanup costs to cities and towns: enormous.  Once you start looking for discarded cigarette butts you'll be amazed to notice how many there really are.  It's pretty disgusting.

I believe in KippiPaks, a product we feature on this site.  “Kippi” is a personal, extinguishing ashtray the size and shape of a business card is actually a pouch for lit butts and chewing gum.  It’s reusable, made mostly of paper – no plastic involved – and is the genius idea of Toronto inventor Bruce Winnacott, now in his 80s.  The KippiPak puts out a butt in just over five seconds.  Fold over the top and the pouch is small and odorless, designed for you to carry with you to the nearest garbage can, empty and reuse.  (Or collect for TerraCycle, also featured on this website.)

In November 2009, on behalf of KippiPaks, Alex and I attended the Solid Waste Management conference in West Virginia where Keep America Beautiful released its comprehensive litter audit.  Cigarette butts were, by far, the most worrisome aspect of litter proliferation.  We're talking 32 billion non-biodegradable, poisonous cigarette butts a year being discarded in America alone.  In West Virginia, where KippiPaks are distributed at major events, cigarette litter has been reduced by more than 80%.  Smokers receive a KippiPak enthusiastically.  They want to keep it.  Until we can stop smokers from flicking their butts everywhere, building KippiPaks into cigarette packages makes a lot of sense.  When I wrote to the CEO of Rothman's with this idea and some Kippi samples, I didn't even receive the courtesy of a response.  But that story is for another post.

 

3 Comments
Bruce Winnacott link
8/24/2012 12:26:36 am

Thanks for the story on kippis ...
Kippis make it easy for smokers and gum chewers to dispose of butts and gum...instead of passing the clean up costs to taxpayers!
JBW

Reply
Bobbi Vwnaon link
11/2/2015 01:21:49 pm

I would like to contact Bruce Winnacott. We need to order lots of these for our litter control campaign. We order some a few years ago and loved them. But I cannot find current contact information. FYI I am director or Marion County Solid Waste Authority here in WV.

Reply
Joe Ernesto link
3/9/2016 06:47:55 am

I saw your comment regarding the KippiPaks after hearing a radio show about cleaning up the cig. butts. I am a good friend and former business partner of Bruce Winnacott. He is retired and living in a seniors home now, but I can give you his number and my email if you wish to contact me or Bruce.

Bruce - 1-705-345-6819

Joe - jocanprint@rogers.com

Best Regards,

Joe Ernesto

Reply



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    Author

    Creative communications consultant Sheila White is founder of the Litter Prevention Program, and prior worked as a communications ace and PR strategist for some of Ontario's top political names.

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