To raise awareness on the issue of cigarette butt pollution, Riga local government invites the residents of Riga to visit the travelling exhibition "What disappears from sight does not disappear in nature" organised by the LLC (SIA) “Zaļā josta” during the "Save Our Sea" campaign and arranged at the City Hall and test their knowledge on the environmental impact of cigarette butts on the iesaisties.riga.lv platform until 16 September.
Every year on 31 August, the Day of Baltic Sea is celebrated in the Baltic Sea coastal countries, and, in 2023, the European Green Capital Tallinn, together with Helsinki and the World Clean-up “Let's Do It World”, is calling for attention to the environmental problems of the Baltic Sea and giving people residing along its shores the opportunity to take action and clean up the Baltic coastal areas, beaches and dunes. This year, Latvian local governments and the organisers of the Big Clean-up have agreed to pay particular attention to the environmental impact of cigarette butts, especially at beaches and bathing sites.
To draw the attention of the residents of Riga and also of the representatives of the local government to the pollution caused by cigarette butts, its environmental impact and the importance of proper disposal of cigarette butts, the travelling exhibition "What disappears from sight does not disappear in nature" organised by the LLC (SIA) "Zaļā josta" is on display in the Riga City Hall until 16 September. The exhibition is located on the 5th floor of the City Hall.
To get a pass, you need to go to the Neighbourhood Residents' Centre on the 1st floor of the council building and present your ID.
In order to raise awareness of the residents of Riga about the problem of cigarette butt disposal, the local government invites you to take an educational knowledge test on the platform iesaisties.riga.lv. Participants who will answer all the test questions correctly will enter a draw to win three prize baskets from the Riga local government, the LLC (SIA) "Zaļā josta" and the LLC (SIA) "Getliņi EKO". Before taking the test, please watch the educational short film “The Way of Cigarette Butt” on our Youtube account. Educational film "The Way of Cigarette Butt" was produced within the framework of the project LIFE Waste To Resources IP “Waste as Resources in Latvia - Promoting Regional Sustainability and Circulation through the Implementation of the Waste as a Resource Concept”, co-funded by the European Union's LIFE Programme.
According to an experiment carried out by the LLC (SIA) “Zaļā josta”, the LLC (SIA) “Rīgas ūdens” and the Riga City Council in the summer of 2022, around 104,000 cigarette butts could enter Riga's storm water drains every day and be dropped on the ground by residents and visitors without any thought on their environmental impact. Cigarette butts can only be disposed of safely in unsorted household waste containers and bins.
According to Section 10(2) of the Law On the Handling of Tobacco Products, Herbal Products for Smoking, Electronic Smoking Devices and Their Liquids, smoking is prohibited in bathing areas, except for the areas specifically designated for smoking, which is why smoking is restricted in Riga's official bathing areas.
In order to reduce cigarette butt pollution in Riga's bathing sites, this year, the local government will create a new smoking area in the Vakarbuļļi bathing site, which will be located outside the territory of the bathing site (near the first car park) and equipped with two new benches and a metal dustbin with an ashtray.
The “Save Our Sea” campaign involves cities and their citizens in Finland, Åland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany. Seven municipalities from Latvia have already signed up to participate in the “Save Our Sea” campaign: Riga, Jūrmala, Liepāja, Ventspils, Ādaži Municipality, Talsi Municipality and Valmiera Municipality.
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