Byron Shire Council has been awarded a Keep Australia Beautiful Tidy Towns Award in the Litter Prevention Category for its Butt Free Byron Shire campaign.
Key achievements from the campaign included a 72% reduction in cigarette butts and a 40% reduction in litter volume in the Byron Shire.
Council Resource Recovery Education and Compliance Officer, Zoe White said she was very proud of the award win, and was also celebrating the reduction in butts and litter.
“The project focussed on visitor education, business engagement and an increase in litter enforcement to help reduce litter during the peak holiday periods,” Ms White said.
“We also expanded the area where enforcement officers monitor the smoking ban on Byron’s beaches which helped to reduce cigarette butt litter.
“As part of the project an educational video was developed. It gave us an opportunity to showcase the incredible natural environment that visitors have come to enjoy and importantly, teach them how they can help to protect it during their stay.
“I’d really like to thank our project partners, the local community including local businesses, as well as visitors for getting involved in the campaign and helping us reduce litter,” she said.