Petition · past parliament
Introduce a deposit payment scheme for cigarette butts
Closed
44 signatures
What the petition asks
Make buyers pay a deposit that is refunded when all the butts are returned.
The charge is added to the cost of a box of cigarettes, as much as £1, and is returned by the seller when the butts are returned, ideally in the original box.
The charge is added to the cost of a box of cigarettes, as much as £1, and is returned by the seller when the butts are returned, ideally in the original box.
Cigarette butt litter accounts for around a third of all litter on our streets.
There have been many attempts to reduce the amount of litter but most are only local efforts with varying degrees of effectiveness.
The results of this initiative will be cleaner streets, with no major outlay by smokers (other than the first pack) or no change to the litter problem but a massive saving to local councils to remove this blight from our streets.
There have been many attempts to reduce the amount of litter but most are only local efforts with varying degrees of effectiveness.
The results of this initiative will be cleaner streets, with no major outlay by smokers (other than the first pack) or no change to the litter problem but a massive saving to local councils to remove this blight from our streets.
Timeline
| 30 Nov 2020 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 30 May 2021 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
44
Status
Closed
Opened
30 Nov 2020
Closed
30 May 2021
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.