Victoria's EPA leads the way!  If you live in Victoria and witness someone littering from their vehicle or vessel, you can now submit a litter report whilst you are on the go by using the Report Litter free iPhone App.

EPA Victoria's new public litter reporting system App for iPhones is an excellent example of how progressive Government departments can and should lead the fight against cigarette butt litter - or any littering - with intelligent and practical assistance to their community.

EPA Victoria's great new Report Litter App is unique to Australia and allows members of the public to report those people (we call them 'Ash-holes') who they see littering their cigarette butts - and any other litter - from or near their motor vehicles or vessels, when and where they see it.

In 2010-2011 almost 12,000 tonnes of litter was removed from Victorian roadsides by councils at a cost of $1.7 million. Combine roadside litter and illegally dumped rubbish, and the figure increases to over 25,000 tonnes at a cost to Victorian councils of $4.6 million a year.

"It's a really good idea from Victoria's EPA and the department should be congratulated for their progressive environmental initiative." said Jack Jacobson, No BuTTs Managing Director.

"Public awareness of the problem of cigarette butt litter is growing as is the understandable intolerance for this unacceptable behaviour."

"We receive well over 20 emails and calls a day from people all over Australia wanting info on how to report these litterers and gladly refer them to the Dob-in-a-Tosser section on nobutts.com.au - which directs them through to the relevant Govt agency in their State."

"So it's great to now be able to let Victorian callers know about the new Report Litterers iPhone App." said Jack.

"It's also interesting to note that well over 90% of all callers we tell about the App have iPhones, but we think it's even more interesting that over 50% of callers and emailers contacting No BuTTs wanting to report litterers are smokers themselves."

"Unfortunately, and despite the very good intentions behind the Report Litter App, there's an obvious fundamental problem inherent within it - and that is that people may be encouraged to try to use it while they're driving, and that's a big no no."

"In fact it's quite surprising that the App doesn't come with a pop-up warning NOT to use while driving" said Jack, "But that's something easily fixed and we've already had discussions with
the Vic EPA on resolving this oversight."

"If people try to use this app whilst driving there's a very good chance that they could accidentally end up rear-ending the same
vehicle that they're trying to report."

"Also, the fact is that using your phone whilst driving it illegal and it would also be a very frustrating irony to get a ticket from the Police for using this App while you're trying to report someone else for their illegal behaviour - which is exactly what cigarette butt littering is."

"However, we've come up with a solution that probably should have been included in the app in the first place, and that's to use a voice recording app to get the litterer's rego, type of car and other details down so that they can be submitted to the EPA via their app when it's safe to do so."

"Regardless of these teething problems, The Victorian EPA has set a new benchmark for intelligent and progressive community assistance in tackling the problem of cigarette butt litter - and they're certainly far more advanced and active on this issue than the South Australian Government - who for some moronic reason still not explained, recently cancelled their State's own Report Litterers program - and terminated the ability of their own citizens to report litters." said Jack.  "It's a ridiculous step in the wrong direction."

What happens to your reports? 
While we can’t tell you specifically what happened to the 
person you reported for littering, you should be satisfied to learn that well over two thirds of reports led to someone 
admitting responsibility and paying a fine – a clear indication that Victorians want to live in a clean, litter free environment.

Fast facts:

• 5775 new reporters in 2011,
• 17,982 reports were filed in 2011,
• Of these, 13,901 resulted in fines being issued;
• About 60 per cent of fines are paid, 20 per cent are disputed and withdrawn, and 20 per cent have gone to court;
• Fines range from $244 for a lit cigarette and up to almost $5000 if the matter goes to court,
• Cigarette butt litter makes up 50 per cent of the litter stream

Rubbish thrown from motor vehicles is a major source of litter and costs millions of dollars each year to remove. Additionally, cigarette butts - which are the most littered item on earth, also cause fires every year that result in deaths to people, the decimation of stock and wildlife and millions of dollars of damage to property and infrastructure.

It's for these reasons that the Country Fire Authority calls butt litterers "Accidental Arsonists" - but we don't think there's anything 'accidental' about it.

In our opinion this sort of reprehensible behaviour is the same as those morons who drop rocks off freeway bridges onto the cars below - and then when someone is seriously injured or killed, wring their hands and whimper an apology that they never intended "for this to happen"....  It's like playing Russian Roulette with other peoples lives. Just what did they think might happen??

Help the EPA by reporting this type of litter, which includes cigarette butts, food packaging and beverage containers - in fact any litter thrown from a vehicle.  Simply record the registration, make, colour, model, location, date and time, plus a description of the litter and submit within 28 days of seeing the offence.

Now there's no need to wait to report litterers! Download the new EPA Victroria Report Litter iPhone App now. 

So far, more than 2800 people have downloaded the app – in fact some 20 per cent of litter reports received each month are now being made using this App.

EPA Victoria is also working on a Report Litter App for Android users and as soon as there are any developments we'll let you know.

Missing information:
Unfortunately, about 10 per cent of reports can’t be processed because of incomplete or incorrect information.

Here’s a quick checklist for future reporting:

• Correct car rego: The EPA checks the information you provide against VicRoads’ registration database; if it 
  doesn't match, they can't process the report.
• A complete record: EPA Victoria need all the details, 
  including the vehicle’s make and model.
• Victorian-registered vehicles only: Unfortunately EPA Victoria can only process reports for Victorian-registered vehicles.
• Ash only: EPA doesn't penalise for ‘ash only’ from a cigarette.
• Reporting quickly: EPA Victoria can only act on information received within 28 days of a litter offence.

How to use this App:

• Warning: Do NOT use this App or attempt to make a litter report whilst driving.
  For obvious reasons it's dangerous - and it's illegal.
   
• Solution #1:  iPhones come with an Apple supplied App called Voice Recorder which allows you to record any message by simply talking into your iPhone. This allows you to simply dictate the required info into your phone for later use - but we've got an even better suggestion:
   
• Solution #2:  Download another free App called Dragon Dictation. 
  This great little App turns your spoken words into text and DD gets
  it right almost all the time. As long as you speak clearly and slowly you'll have no problem dictating required info into DD - and when safe you can simply cut and paste your recorded text info straight into the EPA's Report Litter App.