Please butt it, then bin it® - that's the message going out to all Townsville residents.

More than seven billion cigarette butts are littered every year, with one in ten making their way down drains and out to our waterways. Cigarette butts are made from synthetic fibres and can take up to 12 years to break down, and release powerful toxins into water within just hours.

In Townsville, the aim is help reduce the impact of cigarette butt littering on the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and surrounding beaches.

For more information, contact Integrated Sustainability Services.

Butt Free City is an initiative of the council in partnership with the Butt Littering Trust.