During the last 2 weeks (10 days from Sunday to Thursday) continuously collecting cigarette butts, the Bahrain Butt Collection Challenge –BBCC completed phase 1 at King Faisal Highway cleaning the sandbank towards the Corniche with alarming results.

In total 7,678 cigarette butts were collected.

Each of them toxic and possibly contaminating nature or being mistaken for food by animals, especially birds might feed it to their chicks.

BBCC #day 1: 4 bottles - 800 butts - 1 hour - 50m cleaned "Yallah let's go....many butts out there"

BBCC #day 2: 4 bottles - 800 butts - 45mins - 36 m cleaned "Ready to go.....butts be aware"

BBCC #day 3: 4 bottles - 800 butts - 45 mins - 25m cleaned "Let’s kick’n’collect some butts"

BBCC #day 4: 4 bottles - 800 butts - 40mins - 29m cleaned "Ready to go for some small butts"

BBCC #day 5: 4 bottles - 800 butts - 40mins - 28m cleaned "Butt on the saddle-Butts in the bottles"

BBCC #day 6: 4 bottles - 800 butts - 45mins - 38m cleaned "Shape your butts by collecting butts"

BBCC #day 7: 2 bottles - 800 butts - 45mins - 41m cleaned "Apples for the health - Butts for the bottles"

BBCC #day 8: 3 bottles - 800 butts - 45mins - 29m cleaned "Collecting butts everyday...keeps the doctor away"

BBCC #day 9: 4 bottles - 800 butts - 51mins - 49m cleaned "Toxic butts are dangerous-Sporty butts are gorgeous"

BBCC #day 10: 2 bottles - 478 butts - 51mins - 92m cleaned "Bicycle for the butt-Bottles for the butts"

The 7678 butts were filled in 37 bottles, collected in approx. 7:47 hrs and the whole 417 m of the sandbank was cleaned. The butts will not be thrown away; they will be used for a special environmental awareness project in cooperation with Beach Culture in Bahrain Bay. For that special project, more butts are required and anyone can support that project. Just grab a pair of gloves for your own safety and an empty bottle for collection. Even during these times, it is a safe activity as you can do it alone complying with current regulations and physical distancing.

Fresh air, exercise and supporting the environment - what else you need more….? Yallah, move your butts and collect butts.

It is always surprising when seeing a smoker throwing the butt just where they smoked it and asking them why they did it: “Ooooh sorry sorry. There was no ashtray or waste bin. The government should put a bin here.”

Are you serious? Smokers are not able to carry the 1-2 grams of toxic waste they are producing for a few meters to the nearest ashtray or waste bin? Or even better, carry it with you as you brought the cigarette with you there, so take it as well back. Deal with your own waste. It is not the government's duty to provide you everything and everywhere at your convenience. You would never throw the butt in your kitchen or living room or anywhere in your house or garden or even in your own car, but in public anywhere is fine? You can harm your own health, but don’t pollute the environment and animals with your habit. If you stop you save money, become healthier and it will be better for the society and the environment.

Bahrain Butt Collection Challenge Phase 2 will start soon at a different location

#bahrainisnotanashtray #bahrainisnotatrashbin