Cigarette Butt Litter Reduction

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Join the growing number of Fremont businesses providing cigarette butt bins to their employees and customers.

Be Kind to the Bay

A frog being snuffed out by a cigarette butt Cigarette butts are litter that harm our waterways. Littering is against the law in Fremont. Businesses are responsible for keeping the area around their business free from all litter and will be inspected randomly. Fines can occur. (City of Fremont Municipal Code 18.210.100)

Order and Place Cigarette Butt Containers

Look around your business for cigarette butt litter and count the number of locations where there is cigarette butt litter but no butt container. For every additional cigarette butt container, the littering rate decreases by 9%.
Select and order cigarette butt bins. Consult the Cigarette Butt Bin/Container Options Guide and consider costs, material quality (e.g. for weather, vandalism), maintenance, security, and appearance.
Place cigarette butt bins near “transition points” where smokers must stop smoking before going inside. Containers must be 25 feet or more from an entrance or exit of any public building, or have a sign posted within a foot of the container saying “Smoking Prohibited by Law – Extinguish Here.”
Establish a routine for cleaning cigarette butt bins and areas that accumulate trash and cigarette butts. A clean area deters others from littering.

Put Up Signage

Sign showing person putting their cigarette butt in a bin Put up simple signs, decals or stickers where people smoke and on or next to cigarette butt bins that remind people to use the nearest container and that littering is against the law.

Educate and Remind Employees and the Public

Develop or implement a Smoking Policy. Be clear about your business rules regarding smoking in the workplace, including expectations and consequences.
Review employee communications. Add reminders about smoking, litter laws and policies into regular training and any other communications (e.g. newsletters), as well as warnings for staff who are not following the rules. Emphasize, this is not an anti-smoking effort but an anti-litter campaign.
Ask employees for a verbal or signed pledge to use the provided container. Consider also giving away portable pocket ashtrays to employees who smoke.
Educate employees and the public using visual reminders like table tent cards in break rooms, outside tables, or a decal in your window.