Cigarette litter reduction

Discarding cigarette butts on the ground is littering and subject to a minimum fine of $250 up to $10,000 under the Street and Traffic Bylaw No. 2849.

Help us maintain our outdoor ashtrays

If an outdoor ashtray is full or needs servicing, report this to us through Van311.

Your waste is your responsibility. You can help protect our parks, beaches, waterways, and wildlife, and prevent fires by properly disposing of your cigarette butts in a waste receptacle, ashtray, or pocket ashtray, and by encouraging others to do the same.  

Tobacco and cannabis smoking is prohibited in parks and beaches and in many public spaces, such as in transit shelters, customer service areas, and some plazas, as well as within 6 meters of a window, doorway, or air intake.

What's happeningJoin the Cigarette Litter Challenge from June 1 to 8

Help keep cigarette butts out of our streams and oceans.

Learn more about the challenge

Cigarette butts are the #1 littered item in Vancouver

Smoking related fires caused $15 million in losses between 2011 to 2017

A cigarette butt is toxic to aquatic life and takes 25 years to decompose

Volunteers collected 8,270 bags of litter in 2018

Programs

Join or lead a litter cleanup

Litter cleanups are a fun and meaningful opportunity for residents to gather friends, family, and colleagues together to keep their neighbourhoods looking spectacular and to build a sense of community and purpose.

Learn more or volunteer for our neighbourhood clean-up programs