Frequently Asked Questions
FAQS - Eco-Pole Wall/Post Ashtrays & Eco-Pole Freestanding/Bollard Ashtrays
FAQS - Mini-Butts Personal / Portable / Pocket Ashtrays
FAQS - Windproof/Tabletop Ashtrays
Q. WHAT ARE ECO-POLE ASHTRAYS SUPPLIED WITH?
A. Every Eco-Pole Ashtray is supplied with a complete mounting kit that includes tamperproof dynabolts (loxens), security attachment spanner, universal key & brush to empty and dust off the unit - and emptying & maintenance instructions.
As all Eco-Poles are 1 piece units there is no need for any separate mounting plate installation. You simply secure your Eco-Pole Ashtray wherever you want it, and that's it. By the way, that's another reason why Eco-Pole Ashtrays are the most secure wall/post/bollard ashtrays available.
Q. HOW EASY IS AN ECO-POLE ASHTRAY TO INSTALL?
A. Actually it's very easy. Anyone with basic handyman (or handywoman) skills should be able to install an ECO-POLE ASHTRAY. If you know which end of a drill is the pointy bit, you won't have any problems either.
Q. WHAT SPECIAL TOOLS WILL THE INSTALLER NEED?
A. A drill, spirit level and marking pencil or texta. Everything else is supplied.
Q. HOW DO YOU INSTALL AN ECO-POLE ASHTRAY ?
A. Wall-mounting: Use spirit level to ensure the unit will be at 90 degrees vertical and mark intended holes. Drill the two mounting holes. Insert dyna bolts into holes and use the tightening nuts to secure the Eco-Pole Ashtray to your wall by using security tool (spanner). That's all there is to it!
A. Post-mounting: No Butts recommends the use of a tamperproof pole/post clamping system such as the Band-It System which locks the Eco-Pole Ashtray into place and ensures security.
Q. HOW LONG DOES AN ECO-POLE ASHTRAY INSTALLATION NORMALLY TAKE?
A. Approximately 15 minutes. A professional tradesman or proficient handy-man can install an Eco-Pole Ashtray in around 5 minutes.
Q. IS THE ECO-POLE ASHTRAY EASY TO EMPTY?
A. Very easy! It's a one step process. Simply place a bucket or bag underneath the unit and open the trap door at the base using the security key - and all contents drop out. A quick wipe over the outside on a regular basis will help keep the surface nice and shiny - which is important as smokers will generally not use a dirty unit.
Q. HOW OFTEN SHOULD WE EMPTY OUR ECO-POLE ASHTRAYS?
A. Short answer: As often as possible.
Longer answer: Every location is different. In most cases it's best to empty your Eco-Pole Ashtrays at least every week. If you're not a Telstra Dome, MCG or Sydney Airport this is usually sufficient. Don't worry too much because within a week or two of installing your Eco-Pole Ashtrays you'll quickly discover exactly what your smoker traffic is and how often emptying is required.
Q. WHAT HAPPENS IF I FORGET TO EMPTY OUR ECO-POLE ASHTRAY AND IT IS FULL TO OVERFLOWING?
A. Try to avoid letting this happen. Smokers can't do the right thing if your Eco-Pole Ashtray is overflowing. Environmental factors such as humidity can make the filter, paper, gum and resin from the cigarette butts clump and ball together like wet toilet paper. A poker rod or stick may need to be inserted into the unit to loosen and dislodge the contents.
It’s better to clean once per week at a minimum. As a reminder you could schedule to clean your Eco-Poles the same day your rubbish bins are put out for Council collection. Also a dirty overflowing unit looks very unattractive and will degrade the appearance of your premises as opposed to enhancing it - which totally defeats the purpose of installing your Eco-Pole Ashtray in the first place.
Q. HOW MANY ECO-POLE ASHTRAYS DO WE NEED?
A. In most cases one or two separate Eco-Poles located at the most appropriate locations will suffice but it all depends on the size and type of your location. If your location caters to large numbers of smokers or experiences high smoker traffic you may wish to consider our recently released Eco-Pole Duo Ashtrays which combine two Eco-Poles into one mounted unit. It's often said that "less is more" but when it comes to ashtrays, in reality "more is more".
Q. WHY IS OUR ECO-POLE ASHTRAY IS ALWAYS FULL?
A. If you find your Eco-Pole Ashtrays are always full, or fill up more quickly than you expected – that's actually good news because it means your staff and customers are using them correctly. You may need to install another Eco-Pole Ashtray if demand is high, or you may need to increase the frequency of your cleaning schedule.
Alternatively, our Eco-Pole Duos can assist by doubling the butt storage capacity at the location. Some of our 'high smoker traffic' customers such as night clubs, shopping centers and restaurants that now have designated smoking areas empty their Eco-Poles every day. Considering that every butt collected by an Eco-Pole could have ended up as litter, that's good for all - and great for our environment.
Q. WHAT HAPPENS IF I LOOSE MY KEY?
A. No problem – you can order new keys from us at any time. Don’t forget that if you have purchased multiple Eco-Pole Ashtrays you will have received one key with every unit. We suggest one key be given to the cleaner and the others kept as spares. Note that all Eco-Pole Ashtrays (ie Dry System, Wet System or Duo System) use the same key.
Q. IS THE ECO-POLE ASHTRAY SECURE?
A. Very secure. All Eco-Pole Ashtrays are one piece units, vandal resistant & tamper proof - and unless you have the correct security spanner they cannot be removed. We guarantee it.
Q. WHAT ABOUT THE RISK OF ECO-POLE ASHTRAYS SMOULDERING OR EVEN CATCHING FIRE?
A. That's a very good question and there are a few answers to that question.
- All Eco-Pole Ashtrays come with a 'butt it here' section and almost all smokers do butt out their cigarettes before placing them into the Eco-Poles. However even if they don't, our unique Eco-Pole Ashtray design does not allow a chimney effect - and most butts quickly die out.
The reason that many of us have seen wall or post mounted ashtrays smouldering, or even on fire is because those units usually do not provide a "butt out here section" and/or have openings that allow the deposit of paper and general rubbish. That simply can not happen with Eco-Pole Ashtrays.
All Eco-Poles feature small "cigarette butt only entry points" which eliminate the insertion of paper and general rubbish deposits. No BuTTs has never received a single report of any Eco-Pole smouldering or igniting. Not one.
- Designed for complete 100% piece of mind, No BuTTs recently released Eco-Pole WET System totally eliminates any possibility whatsoever of smouldering or ignition. That's because they're water fillable / liquid chargeable.
The Eco-Pole WET System is a breakthough in design and economy. Eco-Pole WETs are the only water fillable wall or post ashtray available anywhere that still offers a 5 second - one step emptying process - with no disassembly required. Even more, the Eco-Pole WET System is available for literally $100s less than any alternative wet system products which do require a disassembly process that can take up to 10 minutes.
- No BuTTs new Eco-Pole DUO is comprised of a double configuration of 2 x Eco-Pole WET Systems.
Q. WHAT ABOUT THE RISK OF SHARPS?
A. That's an even more important question. The cigarette butt only entry points refered to above on all Eco-Pole Ashtrays also eliminate the ability to place any sharps or syringes into an Eco-Pole Ashtray.
We consider that an essential part of our product design. Before you think about purchasing any alternative supplier's product, we suggest you ask them the same question.
Q. WHAT ARE ECO-POLE ASHTRAYS MADE FROM?
A. All products in the Eco-Pole Ashtray range are completely rust and corrosion proof. Eco-Pole DRYs are made from 100% Stainless Steel. Eco-Pole WET Systems also incorporate enhancements in aluminium. Even our lock mechanisms are rust proof.
Q. IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE OUR CORPORATE LOGO &/OR A MESSAGE/SLOGAN PRINTED ONTO OUR ECO-POLES?
A. Absolutely - and it's a very popular option. Contact our office on 1300-NOBUTTS (1300-662-8887) or email info@nobutts.com.au for more information or to discuss your specific logo requirements or design ideas.
Q. CAN WE HIRE ECO-POLE BOLLARD/FREESTANDING ASHTRAYS FOR A SPECIAL EVENT?
A. You bet you can! It's an excellent way to deal with your expected cigarette butt litter but without the need for any purchases or permanent installations. We hire out our Eco-Pole Ashtrays - Bollard Style all the time. (min. four day hire + 1 x daily clean). It's a great option for short term events like openings, festivals, events, launches, functions, parties, etc.
Please call 1300-NOBUTTS or email us to discuss your requirements or if you'd like to receive a quotation. We'll need to know how long you'll need your Eco-Poles for, where the venue is, and how many times a day our cleaning service may be required.
Q. WHAT ARE MINI-BUTTS PERSONAL ASHTRAYS MADE FROM?
A. Mini-Butts are made from heat resistant ABS plastic resin.
Q. HOW DO MINI-BUTTS HANDLE THE HEAT OF A CIGARETTE BUTT?
A. ABS plastic resin is extremely heat resistant and can not melt, soften or warp from the heat produced by a cigarette butt.
Q. IS IT NECESSARY TO FIRST BUTT OUT THE CIGARETTE BUTT BEFORE PLACING IT INTO THE MINI-BUTT?
A. No. Most Mini-Butt users simply drop their butt in, snap close the lid and give the Mini-Butt a quick shake. This ensures that the butt is quickly extinguished. Note: The exterior of the Mini-Butt closest to the butt inside may get a little warm, but this quickly disappears as soon as the butt dies out and is no cause for concern.
Q. ARE THERE ANY ISSUES WITH SMOKE, ODOURS OR LEAKING ASH?
A. None at all. Unlike other personal ashtrays, Mini-Butts have air tight snap-lock lid that seals in the nasties, never leaks and won't pop open accidentally.
Q. HOW MANY BUTTS CAN I FIT INTO A MINI-BUTT?
A. Approximately 12-14 butts without the need to squash them in. By the way, Mini-Butts Personal Ashtrays have the largest capacity of any personal ashtray available, yet are smaller than almost all the others. The reason for this that we don't waste space on gimmicks like spring loaded or twist lock lids. 100% of the inside of a Mini-Butt including the inside of the lid is storage capacity.
Q. ARE MINI-BUTTS RECYCLABLE?
A. Completely. When it's time to retire your Mini-Butt Personal / Portable / Pocket Ashtray and start using a new Mini-Butt the butts should be emptied into the bin, and the Mini-Butt should be popped into your recycling bin.
Q. WHAT IS THE MINIMUM QUANTITY REQUIRED FOR LOGO PRINTING MINI-BUTTS?
A. Generally our minimum quantity for logo printing is 500 Mini-Butts but we do occaisionally offer introductory specials for 250 Mini-Butts. By the way, every customer we've ever had that started with an order of 250 Mini-Butts has gone on to reorder 500 Mini-Butts when the time came to top up their stock of Mini-Butts. It makes environmental sense, and it also makes economical 'cents'.
Q. IF WE SPONSOR THE USE OF MINI-BUTTS PERSONAL ASHTRAYS, AREN'T WE POSSIBLY PROMOTING SMOKING?
A. Absolutely not. You are promoting environmental responsibility and good corporate citizenship. People are going to smoke with or without a personal ashtray. Obviously it's better 'with'. Mini-Butts not only protect the environment from toxic cigarette butt litter, they also protect corporate images - and here's why:
From a corporate profile point of view it doesn't get much worse than the damage caused by Affiliated Butt Litter. That's the butt litter created by any organisation's smokers whether they're staff in uniform, employees, contractors, customers, guests, visitors, patrons, passengers, members, etc. Mini-Butts eliminate Affiliated Butt Litter.
Q. BUT COULDN'T PROVIDING PERSONAL ASHTRAYS BE SEEN AS ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO SMOKE?
A. We understand that the issue of smoking can be a contentious one, and we do occasionally encounter this misconception - and we think it misses the point. It's like saying that providing lifejackets on a boat encourages people to capsize it, or providing seat belts in cars encourages people to drive like maniacs, or providing smoke detectors in rooms encourages people to light fires.
No-one ever looked at a personal ashtray and decided to take up smoking... And no smoker ever chose NOT to light up just because no ashtray was available. The billions of butts littering our cities and countryside is proof that smokers are going to smoke either way.
Like we said earlier, from every perspective it's got to be better for all involved if smokers are carrying a personal / pocket / portable ashtray with them whenever and wherever they smoke. Remember, they're going to smoke either way.
Q. WHAT'S THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF WINDPROOFS TO GET THEM LOGO PRINTED?
A. 108 units. (ie 3 x cartons of 36 x Windproof Ashtrays)
Q. WHAT ARE THE LOGO PRINTING OPTIONS?
A. What ever you want we can do! We manufacture our ashtray decals using a Gerber Edge Printer – the most advanced digital printer in the world. It produces waterproof and UV protected perma-bond decals that are water resistant and can't fade or peel off - and we use a four color process. This means that you can have unlimited colors on your ashtrays for only a one colour charge - and the printing can go right around the outside of your Windproof Ashtrays.
Q. HOW DURABLE ARE NO BUTTS WINDPROOF ASHTRAYS?
A. No BuTTs Windproof Ashtrays have been specifically designed to handle heavy hospitality use and are the most durable and robust windproof ashtrays available - by far. We use a thicker grade of stainless steel and our hinges and flaps are reinforced. Also, our Windproofs are gravity operated, with no fragile spring to rust, seize up or stop spinning.
Q. WHAT HAPPENS IF THE WINDPROOF ASHTRAYS GET WET?
A. Nothing. Our Windproof Ashtrays are made of 100% stainless steel and are impervious to rain, spilt drinks and sea spray. Unlike inferior chrome or 'spinning' units, our Windproof Ashtrays are designed to be washed, which greatly assists our customers to maintain their Windproof Ashtrays to a high standard of appearance and function.
Q. WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT OUR CUSTOMERS BUTT LITTER BUT WE DON'T REALLY WANT THEM SMOKING AT OUR TABLES, EVEN IF THE LAW ALLOWS IT, SO WE'D RATHER AVOID PLACING WINDPROOFS ON OUR TABLES. WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS?
A. This is an increasingly common policy in the hospitality industry and it makes sense because not all customers sitting at outdoor or footpath tables are smokers. In this scenario our Eco-Pole Ashtrays (Wall-mounted or Bollard) are the perfect solution.
Eco-Poles create a Designated Smoking Zone away from your tables which give smokers the ability to smoke (they're going to anyway..) with Management responsibly providing them with the ability to do the right thing with their butts. Dersignated Smoking Zones also provide a place for smokers to smoke away from your outdoor or footpath tables.
Everybody benefits - including the environment. No BuTTs can also provide a range of table or wall signage which informs your patrons of your smoking policy.
If you have a question not covered in our FAQS or would like additional information, please contact our office by calling 1300-NOBUTTS (1300-662-8887) or email us.