Ballot Bins trial could come to Havering to clean up cigarette waste

Litter campaigner Mark Whiley is hoping to trial Ballot Bins to combat the borough's cigarette waste.

These bins provide a question with two answers, which allow smokers to deposit their finished cigarette butts into the side that they agree with.

The questions posed are regularly updated - and can even ask users which is their favourite Greggs treat.

Mark Whiley has been campaigning to clean up Gidea Park (Image: Mark Whiley)

Mark said: "Ballot Bins are a quirky yet smart initiative."

He claimed that where it has been introduced in other places across the country the scheme has helped to reduce cigarette waste.

Mark has been working alongside the Green Party to reduce litter in Havering, particularly in Gidea Park and Squirrels Heath.

He said: "We've seen lit cigarette butts cause bin fires in Havering.

"What some people may not know is that they are the most abundant form of plastic waste in the world, according to EarthDay.org."

Ballot Bins were previously trialled in Southend and Hackney.

Questions on the Ballot Bins can be changed regularly (Image: Mark Whiley)

Mark claims Southend City Business Improvement District is planning a new trial this year in partnership with local businesses who would help to maintain the Ballot Bins - and this is a model he is keen to follow in Havering.

READ MORE: Dagenham McDonald’s staff litter pick in Whalebone Lane South

Mark said the right partnerships - for example with Joe & Jam in Gidea Park or local groups like the Romford Wombles - could offer a "winning formula" for the bins.

However, the litter campaigner added that the Ballot Bins are "not a problem solver in itself".

He said: "There needs to be a cultural shift, and we need to make it easier for the cultural shift to take place."