Cigarette receptacle

A cigarette receptacle is a container or device for extinguishing and disposal of cigarette waste. Other common names for cigarette receptacle include: ash urn, ash pan, butt receptacles, butt bins, butt holders, snuffers, smokers poles, cigarette waste receptacles, smokers waste receptacles, and ash/trash combination. Originally provided as a courtesy to smokers in public places, cigarette receptacles are now commonplace as smoking bans and designated smoking areas require proper disposal methods. A typical receptacle can hold hundreds - even thousands - of disposed cigarette butts. While the United States congress has not attempted to pass a nationwide smoking ban, many states and local governments have enacted their own statutes addressing smoking in public places.

Proper disposal of cigarette butts is promoted as both an environmental and health issue. It is estimated 4.5 trillion cigarette butts become litter every year. While cigarette smoking in the United States has decreased, cigarette butt litter remains the most littered item in the United States and globally. The overall littering rate for cigarette butts is 65%, and in all, tobacco products make up 38% of all roadway litter in the United States. Depending on composition, a cigarette butt can take as short as one month, and up to three years and longer to biodegrade. Cigarette filters made of cellulose acetate do eventually biodegrade, while some environmental groups claim filters containing plastic never fully biodegrade. Cigarette butts contain toxic chemicals including nicotine, cadmium and benzene.

Cigarette receptacles for use in public and private establishments can be wall-mounted or free-standing, for indoor and outdoor use. Construction materials include metal (steel, stainless steel, aluminum), concrete, stone/epoxy aggregate, various plastics (polyethylene, recycled plastic), and fiberglass, with receptacles made of one material or a combination of several.

Ash urns are usually mounted on a pedestal, and present a media such as sand or gravel for a smoker to snuff cigarette butts. This type of cigarette receptacle is also common in ash/trash combination units, with the urn placed on top of a trash bin below.

Wall mounted cigarette receptacles are manufactured in a variety of shapes, sizes and butt disposal methods. Units with all-metal construction allow disposing of cigarette butts into a container with no other extinguishing media required. Some receptacles utilize a separate butt container for clean-out, while one-piece models simply dump used butts.

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