In collaboration with Avolux OÜ, Tallinn has installed 50 specialized cigarette butt bins in September across areas near the city's water bodies. The initiative aims to prevent harmful waste from entering waterways while also facilitating recycling efforts.

Each year, tens of tons of cigarette filters, which are non-biodegradable, find their way into nature. Cigarette butts that end up in canals, ponds, rivers, and lakes follow a direct path that eventually carries them to the Baltic Sea. Just one cigarette butt can contaminate up to 1,000 liters of water, and toxic substances from these butts can end up in the human food chain through marine life.

“The entry of cigarette butts into the sea and other water bodies poses a threat to the ecosystems. Installing separate bins for cigarette butts is a step towards a cleaner city and a healthier Baltic Sea,” said Deputy Mayor Margot Roose, adding that the project's goal is to raise awareness of the issue.

Last year, the bins were mainly placed near coastal areas, while this year’s focus has been areas around water bodies such as Harku and Pae lakes, Väike-Õismäe and Šnelli ponds, and Löwenruh, Parditiik, and Lepistiku parks. Additional bins were placed at Merimetsa public barbecue areas and Pelgurand. The locations were selected by the Tallinn Strategic Management Office in cooperation with the district governments of Põhja-Tallinn, Kesklinn, Lasnamäe, Kristiine, Mustamäe, Nõmme, and Haabersti. Avolux OÜ installed the bins, having offered the most competitive bid in the public procurement process organized by the Tallinn Strategic Management Office.

Last year, 80 cigarette butt bins were installed along the coastline in cooperation with Filaret OÜ. These bins remain in use, and the collected cigarette butts are emptied by the Tallinn Waste Center. Filaret OÜ processes the butts into environmentally friendly compostable material for 3D printing, thus helping reduce plastic waste.

Tallinn follows the objectives of its Waste Management Plan 2022–2026, which includes implementing solutions to prevent and collect marine litter, such as the installation of cigarette butt bins.

Map of bin locations

Photo: Eva Liisa Vahtramaa, Tallinn Strategic Management Office