This Monday, February 16, the European Climate Pact (PCE) and Ecomood – Climate Alliance Portugal asked Portuguese authorities to apply the legislation on cigarette butts, which has existed for six years, but which “almost no one” complies with.
“Law 88/2019 prohibits throwing cigarette butts on the ground, makes individuals and companies responsible for collecting them and tasks local authorities, ASAE (Food and Economic Security Authority) and the police with monitoring them”but “almost no one complies with the law, no entity monitors it, there are no sanctions applied”lamented the two structures.
In this context, they sent a letter to the new president of the National Association of Portuguese Municipalities (ANMP), Pedro Pimpão, asking him to “alert and mobilize municipal councils to comply with the law”.
Since 2019 this law “prohibits the disposal of cigarette butts and other tobacco products on the floor”predicting “sanctions for individuals who do so and for companies that do not promote its collection in the perimeters under their responsibility”they explained.
PCE and Ecomood want municipalities and competent authorities “to be encouraged to apply and monitor compliance with Law 88/2019”, including the imposition of fines.
“More than six years after its approval by the Assembly of the Republic, this law continues to not be applied”wrote PCE ambassador and Ecomood coordinator António Gonçalves Pereira, in the letter sent to ANMP.
The official pointed out the need to raise awareness, to make ashtrays available outside public spaces and also to monitor and impose fines.
It is suggested that municipalities act so that inspection is carried out not only by them, “but also by ASAE, by the Municipal Police in the municipalities where it exists, by the PSP, by the Maritime Police and by other entities with competences in the matter”.
On the 21st, the “Limpar (Beatas) de Bicla” initiative will be held in Algés, with the aim of alerting the population to the problem and asking local authorities to exercise their powers.
During this action, “environmentalists will go on bicycles to collect cigarette butts and separate this dangerous waste”, with the support of the municipal mobility company Parques Tejo and the municipality of Oeiras.
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