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Cigarette butts are one of the most persistent and commonly found types of pollution in Riga’s public outdoor spaces, especially along the coast. Long-term marine litter monitoring data show that, on average, 406 litter items are found per 100 meters of beach along Riga’s coastline, while the European Union’s threshold for good environmental status of the marine environment is 20 items. This represents more than a twentyfold exceedance. A significant share of this pollution consists specifically of smoking-related waste.

To address the growing problem of cigarette butt pollution in the coastal zone, Ltd “Zaļā josta”, within the LIFE Integrated Project “Waste to Resources in Latvia”, implemented long-term measures aimed at changing public attitudes and improving cigarette butt collection infrastructure at one of the largest and most visited official municipal bathing sites in Riga - Vecāķi Beach. The objective was to test whether targeted infrastructure could improve the situation even in the most heavily used environments of the capital city.

Within the project, Ltd “Zaļā josta” installed visually striking environmental objects at three entrances to Vecāķi Beach - large-scale cigarette butt sculptures symbolically extinguished in the beach sand. The objects highlight the prevailing problem of cigarette butt pollution on beaches, while their size emphasizes the scale of the issue, prompting reflection - cigarette butts do not belong here. Next to the objects, special waste bins for cigarette butt collection were installed in bright, highly visible colours, informing visitors that 120 cigarette butts are found in every 100 meters of Latvian beaches, and indicating that cigarette butts are not made of paper but of plastic - cellulose acetate.

The project results in the pilot area are unequivocal. Control monitoring conducted over several consecutive years, using a consistent methodology in 10 m² control plots, shows that smoking-related waste in the Vecāķi pilot area decreased by 41%. This is one of the highest recorded reduction rates within the entire LIFE project.

Importantly, the project results are neither seasonal nor accidental. The outcomes were obtained by comparing data collected before and after the installation of cigarette butt collection infrastructure and large-scale environmental objects, which simultaneously served as a practical solution and a strong visual signal encouraging appropriate behaviour in public spaces.

A contrast to this example is the so-called “zero-action scenario” - areas where no additional preventive measures were introduced. In these areas, smoking-related waste pollution increased on average by 9%. This comparison particularly highlights the situation in Riga - without active, targeted action, pollution continues to grow.

In urban beaches in Latvia, the cigarette butt problem is even more pronounced. Between 2023 and 2025, an average of 222 cigarette butts per 100 meters of beach were recorded, making cigarette butts one of the dominant types of pollution specifically in urban environments. Riga’s beaches are not an exception in this statistic but rather a typical example of a large city with high visitor flows, intensive tourism, and seasonal pressure.

The LIFE project results in Vecāķi demonstrate a significant paradigm shift. Cigarette butt pollution is not merely a matter of individual responsibility or public “awareness-raising.” It is an issue of urban planning and infrastructure. When people in public spaces are provided with a clear, convenient, and visually noticeable opportunity to dispose of cigarette butts properly, the majority will do so.

From the perspective of the capital city, these data are particularly significant. Riga is a city where environmental quality directly affects both residents’ daily lives and the city’s image in the eyes of tourists. Every properly managed cigarette butt means fewer toxic substances and microplastics entering the environment - beach sand, wastewater, and the sea - as well as reduced pressure on municipal waste management budgets.

The example of the Vecāķi pilot area demonstrates that a 30-40% reduction in pollution is not a theoretical target but an achievable result when a data-driven approach is applied and practical and communication solutions are combined. This provides strong grounds to conclude that cigarette butt collection infrastructure is not a symbolic gesture but an effective tool for improving environmental quality in large cities.

The results of the “Zaļā josta” project in the Riga pilot area clearly present a choice: either accept the gradual increase in pollution or base urban environmental policy on targeted, measurable, and verifiable solutions. LIFE project data confirm that close cooperation between waste management organisations, environmental NGOs, researchers, and municipalities makes a significant contribution to improving environmental conditions and changing public behaviour.