Rincón launches campaign to rid its beaches of cigarette butts

Rincón de la Victoria town hall has, for the second summer running, provided residents and visitors with a series of information panels to raise awareness of the consequences of leaving cigarette butts on the beach.

The panels, which also have reusable cans in which cigarette butts should be deposited, can be found in Torre de Benagalbón, Rincón de la Victoria and La Cala del Moral. "The dynamic is simple, the person arrives at the beach, takes the recycled can, deposits the ash and butt there and then empties the can in the corresponding bins and, finally, returns the can to the information panel," explained councillor for beaches, Sergio Díaz.

Cigarette butts are a growing problem, "and they pollute the oceans just like plastic. Because not only do they reach the seas if we leave them on the sand, but they can also end up in the stomachs of fish, as various environmental groups have warned," explained Díaz.

The councillor for Beaches also wanted to point out that "a cigarette butt can take up to 25 years to biodegrade due to the harmful pollutant residue it releases into the environment".

The town hall has also reminded people of its environmental policy to protect natural resources and added that various awareness campaigns will be developed to keep the beaches clean, with an emphasis on the importance of recycling plastics.