A Clever Way to End Cigarette Litter

Chicago smokers will soon be able to vote on matters of pop culture importance with their butts.

1 minute read

September 28, 2016, 6:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Cigarette Litter Beach

Asia Images / Shutterstock

The city of Chicago is partnering with the Alliance for the Great Lakes to launch a pilot project that will set up cigarette trash bins at Chicago beaches reports Elizabeth Daigneau. The trash bins come with a clever question to encourage casting votes, via cigarette butts.

Which is the best Chicago baseball team: Cubs or Sox? Which do you prefer: Chicago dog or deep dish pizza? Toilet paper roll direction: under or over? These are just a few of the questions smokers along Chicago’s beaches are being asked this summer. 

So when a smoker tosses a butt, they can also cast their vote on these widely appealing questions. Daigneau notes that Chicago isn't the first city to implement this kind of campaign. The idea originated in London, and Boston already brought a similar program stateside.

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