Plans for beggars to butt in on litter dilemma

Inner-city residents believe they have a solution to Wellington’s cigarette butt litter problem – getting beggars and beneficiaries to pick them up.

The Wellington City Council is reviewing its Public Places Bylaw and proposes stomping out cigarette butts, making it an offence to drop them in any public place – even though there is no way of enforcing the rule.

Inner City Wellington’s submission on the bylaw asks the council to implement a scheme, where people on a benefit could gather butts in return for compensation, which would be capped so they would not lose their benefit.

Sarah Webb , from the residents’ association, said the idea stemmed from an encounter with a beggar who suggested the idea to the association’s deputy chair, Geraldine Murphy.

The scheme would also be open to those who beg, to provide an alternative and a public service by removing toxic litter from the streets for more appropriate disposal.

Wellington Downtown Community Ministry director (DCM) Stephanie McIntyre said she hoped the intention was good – that people genuinely wanted to help the poor find work. However, cigarette butts were litter and not something people should be handling.

Her staff recently met with council staff to discuss ideas for meaningful, paid work.