Enforcement Against Individuals Who Dispose of Lit Cigarette Butts in Refuse Chutes and Adoption of Technology to Track Such Cases

Mr Cai Yinzhou asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) for each year from 2020 to 2025, how many enforcement actions were taken against individuals for disposing of lit cigarette butts in refuse chutes; (b) how are surveillance analytics and thermal imaging within refuse chutes utilised to identify such offenders; and (c) what measures are in place to ensure that the statutory presumption for littering is effectively applied in such cases.

The National Environment Agency does not conduct surveillance on items being disposed of into refuse chutes, and there have been no enforcement cases on throwing lit cigarette butts in refuse chutes to date. Statutory Presumption under the Environmental Public Health Act 1987 is only applied for high-rise littering from a residential flat into a public place and is not applicable for such cases. We urge smokers to exercise responsibility in ensuring that cigarette butts are extinguished before being disposed into a refuse chute or bin.