Ditch The Flick – Victoria SRP
Source Reduction Plan (SRP) Overview
Name of SRP
Ditch The Flick – Victoria SRP
Partners Delivering the SRP
Acknowledgement of partners/organisations that helped implement the SRP and their key responsibilities.
(Local Council, other local government agencies, other community groups).
- Tangaroa Blue Foundation – created, delivered and lead the SRP
- CleanWater Group: Supported all stormwater drain trap installation and management during project
- Recycling Victoria Communities Fund delivered by Sustainability Victoria on behalf of the Victorian State Government: Provided project funding
- Pipe Management – Servicing of all stormwater drain traps
- Local government areas – with high cigarette associated litter in stormwater drains, assisted with asset funding, council staff engagement, asset management post-project, source reduction project support.
- City of Melbourne
- City of Wyndham
- City of Hobsonson Bay
- Hume City Council – Broadmeadows & Roxburgh Park Vicinity
Location
Name the type of location; beach, school, CBD, industrial area and the town/city the SPR was implemented.
(For example, Woolworths carpark, Castletown, Townsville)
Melbourne
- City of Wyndham – Werribee Train Station
- City of Hobsons Bay – Hobsons Bay Hotel and Rose of Australia Hotel
- Broadmeadows Central
- Roxburgh Park Vicinity Centre
Photo 1
Add evidence of targeted
debris/litter, show the issue
Photo 2
Add evidence of your SRP resources
Photo 3
Add evidence of positive outcomes
Overall Goals & Background
Targeted Debris/Litter Item
Name of item or group of items being targeted in this SRP (For example, water bottles or recreational fishing gear)
Cigarette Butts
Why is the SRP needed?
Explain the requirement of SRP, include immediate and long-term impacts to the SRP location.
According to data from the Australian Marine Debris Initiative (AMDI) database, cigarette butts consistently rank amongst the top 10 litter items affecting locations in Greater Melbourne and its surrounding waterways, including Port Phillip Bay. These butts consistently appear as one of the predominant items during cleanup efforts, especially in urban environments.
Most people don’t want to deliberately pollute the environment, but many don’t realise that whilst the majority of a cigarette is ‘biodegradable’, cigarette filters are made of plastic and it is estimated to take 10 years to degrade into small plastic fibres and remnants.
This is a continuing issue within the marine environment, with particular focus on marine birds who mistake the debris as viable food for their offspring.
Logistics
General Timeline
How long did it take?
Include audits, installation/distribution of materials, SRP completion & reporting.
General Timeline: 2019 – 2023
Audits: 2 Phased Audits from 2019 to 2023, 16 auditing cycles
Measuring Success
How did you measure the success of the
SRP?
Some examples include:
– How did you measure/show the reduction of litter, through data collection?
– How many assets were created and distributed?
– Targeted audience (what type of audience were reached and how many people? How was this measured?)
– How did you measure community engagement?
Once the specialised butt bins were installed, rebranded or repositioned within DOSA’s, the Tangaroa Blue Foundation conducted debris audits via the nearby stormwater traps and observational studies to determine the success of their location. By collecting continuous debris/litter within the stormwater drain traps, we could measure the effectiveness of this SRP within each local government area but also have location specific comparisons.
Assets:
- Specialised butt bins with graphics
- UV Stable directional stickers
- UV Stable co-branded stickers
- Fact Sheet
- Social Media banners and downloadable photos
To grab the attention of our smoking targeted audience, we used brightly coloured, engaging and noticeable prints across all assets and campaign promotion.
We created free downloadable campaign assets and information directed at venues to download and display signage.
Both Tangaroa Blue Foundation and Sustainability Victoria ran social media promotions to generate awareness around the campaign. Once analysed we could see how many views and downloads were made on the website and our media posts.
Data Collection & Reporting
What methodology did you use to collect
the data?
How was the data recorded and shared?
(For example, audits, survey frequency, AMDI Database) Include evidence of the methodology used relevant to your type of location. Monitoring Methodology – Tangaroa Blue
Two phases spanning from 2019 to 2023, involving extensive asset servicing, data collection, and community engagement in 16 cycles. Data was recorded based on the Tangaroa Blue Foundation’s Australian Marine Debris Initiative (AMDI) Database methodology, encompassing 130 data categories, including exact locations and improved accuracy in capturing urban litter types and sources.
Cigarette butts were counted and reported within each audit cycle to enable comparison of Phase 1 & Phase 2 results.
Results and Reflections
Positive Outcomes
What was the outcome of your SMART goal?
– Was there a reduction in targeted debris/ litter?
– What assets were created/how many were distributed?
– Did you reach your targeted audience and how was the community engaged?
Include website links and social media platforms
This SRP was welcomed and supported by the local government areas involved particularly the City of Wyndham, venues and also members of the public.
Assets:
- Specialised butt bins with graphics
- UV Stable directional stickers
- UV Stable co-branded stickers
- Fact Sheet
- Social Media banners and downloadable photos
Following invaluable dedication, 165 volunteers participated in community auditing events, sorting and counting the trap contents. An online community forum was held to present the findings in both 2020 and 2023 with 130 participants.
Tangaroa Blue Foundation made 2 posts across our social media platforms Facebook and Instagram reaching 1852 reaches with 220 audience engagements and 2 articles posted to the website:
https://www.tangaroablue.org/ditch-the-flick-comes-to-the-city-of-wyndham/
https://www.tangaroablue.org/cigarette-butt/litter-hotspot-program-vic/
Further media posts including a Youtube video, Litter Hotspots Program – No Butts About It, created by Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery group and website articles by Sustainability Victoria and the City of Wyndham:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qbI4uiiNcQ
https://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/news/news-articles/stopping-marine-litter-at-the-start
Funding
What did the SRP cost?
– Cash fundings for asset creation and implementation
– What In-kind funding support did you receive from partners/organisations?
Budget: TBC
Community: Following priceless devotion, 165 volunteers participated in community auditing events, sorting and counting the trap contents between 2109-2023.
Challenges & Improvements
What challenges did you face during the SRP?
– How were these addressed and adapted to?
What could be improved if this SRP was to be replicated?
It proved challenging to contact the right person with authority within venues surrounding the stormwater drain traps. This resulted in only half of the implementation plan completed.
Future Opportunities
What were some additional positive outcomes?
Is your SRP still in action?
(For example, have any partners/organisations, Local Council, agencies, or community groups continued to implement your SRP?)
Include website links & social media
There is a huge opportunity to expand the ‘Ditch The Flick’ campaign in other cigarette butt hotspots within urban and coastal areas within the Greater Melbourne Area & waterways potentially leading into the Port Phillip Bay.
Once implemented the stickers and signage remain in place to hopefully remind and engage smokers to dispose of their cigarette butts correctly.
