MIDDLEWICH Clean Team have cut the amount of cigarette butt litter in the town by half after scattering wall-mounted cigarette butt bins around public areas.


The volunteer group, which has recently received a £3,500 lottery grant, joined forces with The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) and Japan Tobacco International (JTI), to tackle the issue of cigarette butt litter in Middlewich.


As part of the project, 32 cigarette butt bins were mounted on walls around the town in February and the Clean Team has recorded a 56 per cent reduction in cigarette butts since then.


Stephen Dent, vice chairman of the Middlewich Clean Team, said: “Whilst the Clean Team litter picks and education programme have made a vast improvement in the amount of general litter in the streets, we still had a severe ongoing problem of cigarette litter blighting our town.


“We are delighted that this project has gone a considerable way towards solving this problem.”


The cost of the bins installed around the town amounted to £5,000 and was funded by JTI.


Tom Hirons, corporate affairs manager at JTI UK, said: “A litter free environment is of benefit to everyone, smokers included and JTI is committed to taking the lead in effective anti-litter campaigns to offer solutions to help avoid cigarette butt litter.


“This partnership with CPRE and the Middlewich Clean Team demonstrates that by working together we can make great progress in this area.”


The CPRE fights for a better future for the English countryside and works both locally and nationally to protect and enhance rural communities.


Samantha Harding, from The Campaign to Protect Rural England, said: “This is such an encouraging result.


“We know that most people want to do the right thing and get rid of their cigarette butts responsibly, so it’s great that people have embraced the new bins and kept their favourite pubs and bars cleaner.”