The scale
4.5 trillion
Cigarettes discarded into the environment worldwide each year, according to WHO’s 2022 estimate.
Source: WHO · 2022 ↗FOR COUNCILS, CAMPUSES & BUSINESSES
Influencing
behaviour.Delivering
better
streets.
Bins and bike parking with a big difference. Unique, strategic solutions for cleaner, tidier, more sustainable shared spaces.
This remedy is well thought through and a practical way of getting the public to be a bigger part of the solution to cigarette litter.
Why it matters · Cigarette litter
Small litter.
A lasting problem.
Once cigarette ends and gum reach the ground, removing them takes repeated work, specialist equipment and public money. Prevention matters: convenient disposal can help contain waste before it becomes a street-cleansing problem.
The clean-up burden
Millions, every year.
UK council estimates: £40m a year for cigarette litter (Defra, 2021) and £7m a year for gum removal (Defra, 2023).
Explore the costs & sources →Beyond the street
Plastic. Pollution.
Filters contain poorly degradable plastic. Tobacco waste can release nicotine, metals and other harmful chemicals into soil and water.
Source: WHO Europe · 2022 ↗Cleaning remains essential. Preventing litter from reaching the ground can reduce avoidable collection work and help street-cleansing resources go further. The City of London case study shows why the method of collection matters.
Figures retain their original dates and geographic scope. They are published estimates, not live counts or projected scheme savings.
Our approach · It starts with people
Effective street care
starts with people.
Make considerate disposal easy and bike parking convenient — where people need them, without adding clutter.
We start with how people use a place. Then we work with your team to put the right facilities within reach, creating a recognisable network that supports everyday choices and makes street care more effective.
Understand the place.
Look at where people pause, smoke, chew gum or need to park a bike. Combine their needs with your team’s local knowledge.
Make the choice easier.
Put easy-to-find disposal points and useful bike parking where they are needed. Existing posts help create consistent locations without extra street clutter.
Measure the difference.
Track litter, use and servicing. Learn what works, refine the locations and build on the results as your scheme grows.
City of London · Published case study
Proof on
the street.
The City of London Smartbin network in the Square Mile (now over 1,000 bins) is delivering a dramatic reduction in micro litter.
Disposal points on existing posts made cigarette bins convenient and predictably located. The published City of London case study reports:
64%reduction in smoking-related litter reported in the case study
27m+cigarette ends collected annually across the City’s network
Historical results from the City of London scheme. Outcomes depend on location, coverage, use and servicing.
Explore the case study → Read the report ↓
City of London case study
See the strategy in action.
The City of London video explains how a network of Smartbins formed part of its approach to reducing smoking-related litter across the Square Mile.
The Smartstreets range
Quick to find.
Easier to use.
Convenient disposal and cycle parking, designed to work with your street scene.
Street-scale litter prevention
Smartbin™
Turn existing posts into easy-to-find cigarette and gum disposal points.
Explore Smartbin →
Take the bin with you
Minibin™
A reusable pocket ashtray that puts considerate disposal within reach.
Explore Minibin →Make room for cycling
More places to park.
Less street clutter.
Cyclepark™ turns suitable existing posts into convenient bicycle parking. Explore the range, installation options and forthcoming cargo-bike parking direction.
Discover Cyclepark →
Chewing gum litter
Gumstick™
Make the destination for used gum visible and engaging, with Gum Target campaign options.
Explore Gumstick →
Treadprint™
PostPointer™Campaign communication
Signage
Treadprint™ pavement graphics and PostPointer™ signage complement the bins and Gum Targets, helping people find and use the right disposal point.
Explore signage →The Smartstreets difference
Original thinking.
Practical advantages.
Distinctive products and fixing systems that make more of the infrastructure already in your streets.
The Smartbin™ design holds two granted patents, and the Cyclepark™ is patented too. Our registered product designs and tailored fitting systems are available direct from Smartstreets.
They create a visible improvement: useful facilities that invite people to take part in caring for their surroundings, from the moment they are installed.
Built around your street.
Twin Smartbins fit back to back around existing columns, with spacer plates and fixings specified for each location. Cyclepark adds parking for two bicycles to a suitable existing post. More facilities, without more freestanding street furniture.
Predictable places. Easier choices.
Recognisable, consistently located facilities help people find a bin or a place to park when they need it. The twin-bin arrangement presents a disposal point whichever way people walk along the pavement.
Better places, together.
For a council, campus or business, well-placed facilities visibly demonstrate a commitment to working with the public for a cleaner, more sustainable local environment — supporting both everyday convenience and the teams who look after the space.
Trusted in the field
Different places.
Shared ambitions.
Councils, campuses and public-space teams using Smartstreets products in their own street scenes.
“They have proved to be durable and trouble free and the support and customer care offered by the Smartstreets team is excellent.”Les Walker · Senior Street Environment Officer · City of London
Internationally recognised design
17+ international
design awards.
Original thinking, recognised around the world. Awards for product design, environmental innovation and practical impact.
Explore the awards →
Also recognised by A’ Design, Green Apple, Rushlight and the New York Design Award.
The City of London programme also received recognition from Keep Britain Tidy and EPSA / EIPA.
Selected award marks · 17+ awards across the Smartstreets range
The detail, when you need it
Explore a little further.
Evidence, practical guidance and examples to help you plan your next step.
City of LondonFeatured guideHow to rid your streets
How to rid your streets
of cigarette litter.
A practical starting point for cleaner streets: understand the place, make disposal convenient and build public participation.
Read the guideThe problem
Why small litter matters.
Cigarette ends, gum and their environmental impact.
Read the evidence →Active travelBetter places to park bikes.
How convenient facilities can support more cycling.
Explore the benefits →For councilsPlan a practical scheme.
Site surveys, fitting options, quotations and support.
Start planning →In the streetSee products in place.
Product galleries and real-world installations.
Browse the galleries →Ready from stockShop pocket ashtrays.
Stock designs, delivered prices and Shopify checkout.
Visit the shop →Stay informedNews and useful links.
Litter prevention, cycle facilities and public-space updates.
Read the news →
Original design. A practical street strategy.
Make a difference
people will notice.
Bring award-winning design and a people-first strategy to your streets. Well-placed bins and bike parking can help prevent litter, make street cleansing more efficient and create a better-looking place that works for the public.
Tell us about your locations. We’ll help you choose the products, fitting options and placement to turn that ambition into a practical scheme.