Read News & Articles About The Hold On To Your Butt Program

The Hold On To Your Butt campaign aims to eliminate cigarette litter in San Diego and beyond. Cigarette butts are the most littered item in the United States and the world. This type of litter is not just found in streets and urban settings, butts often end up on or near our local beaches accounting for nearly one in every five items collected during beach cleanups. To make matters worse, butts are often cast onto the sidewalk and streets, and then end up in drains, which flow to streams, rivers, bays, lagoons and ultimately the ocean. There is also a fire risk from discarded butts.

To raise awareness and reduce pollution, the Hold on to your Butt campaign:

• Sponsors outdoor ashcans in several communities
• Partners with local & state police for litter law enforcement
• Maintains a phone hotline where people can report cigarette litter: (877) 211-2888
• Hands out personal ashtrays to smokers
• Supports smoking bans for beaches, parks, and public areas
• Generates community awareness through the annual Hold On To Your Butt Day where activists gather at busy intersections to remind smokers that butts are litter too.

Surfrider has installed over 100 ashcans in San Diego County, with a 65% reduction in butts where ashcans are installed. View the interactive map here.

Sponsor an ashcan using the HOTYB Ashcan Sponsor Form, and your business name will show on the map. Call or email Surfrider to be a part of the solution!

For more information contact HOTYB@surfridersd.org.