3,300 cigarette butts were picked by Earth Ninja Jocelyn Titus and three other volunteers last Saturday in a special cleanup focused on the tossed smokes.

鈥淭he mass majority of the butts came from behind the old elk hall. We managed to walk to 272 Street and back.,鈥� Titus explained. 鈥淭he majority of the cigarette butts along Fraser was on the roadside right where the water collects and runs straight into the storm drains.鈥�

She noted that cigarette butts are the number one polluters and that it can take up to 10 years for a butt to decompose.

鈥淒id you know 75 per cent of smokers admit they toss their butts?鈥� Titus asked. 鈥淎t an alarming rate 2.3 million butts get tossed a minute. I find it hard to believe in 2021 there鈥檚 people who still smoke, let alone toss their butts.鈥�

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If anyone who smokes would like a cigarette pouch to butt out in, Titus has some to give away.

鈥淭hese pouches are reusable and are an alternative option to littering and polluting our planet,鈥� she explained. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a reusable personal pocket ashtray, which is a great little anti litter device designed to store cigarette butts until they can be disposed of properly.鈥�

The pouch is soft and lightweight with a fireproof lining to extinguish cigarettes and lock in odour.

People can send a message requesting one at .

鈥淎ldergrove has absolutely no places for the community to place their butts,鈥� she added. 鈥淚f cigarettes are the top polluters then why are we not taking action to prevent harm to our planet. Let鈥檚 make some changes.鈥�

Titus leads weekly cleanups all over the community through her Earth ninjas group, which people are free to join and help out.

MLA Bruce Banman recently recognized Titus鈥檚 efforts in Parliament and asked for some extra funding.