Passersby help environmental activists clean up Tel Aviv’s Rothschild Boulevard. ‘Our goal is to replace litter with clean, green environment,’ one of organizers says

Michel Dor
Published: 01.04.11, 07:52

Environmental activists from the non-profit organization “A Country without Cigarette Litter” recruited passersby to help clean up Tel Aviv’s Rothschild Boulevard recently.

Residents were given a flower for every cigarette butt they picked up.

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The organization estimates that each year, in Israel alone, some six billion cigarette butts are not properly disposed of.

Activist Hanan Shteingart says cigarette butts are the most common form of litter in the world and are one of the leading causes of forest fires.

“Our activity is aimed at encouraging civilians to clean up their surroundings and talk about the environmental damage caused by cigarette butts,” he says.

“The flowers were handed out as a symbolic act which calls to beautify public places and replace the litter with a clean and green environment,” Shteingart said.

According to the activist, “by raising awareness to the damage caused by cigarette butts we can reduce the amount of garbage on Israel’s beaches and streets, and in its forests.

“Smokers have told us that they began disposing of cigarette butts properly after learning of the ecological damage they cause,” he says.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3980811,00.html