Cigarette bins erected in major UK city as ultra-offensive typo stuns passersby

02 December 2023 , 12:59

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These cigarette bins are known as ‘Ballot Bins’ which are created to prevent smokers from littering their cigarette butts (Image: Nottinghamshire Live/BPM Media)

Football-themed cigarette bins have been set up in a UK city centre in a bid to stop smokers littering the streets - but one includes an unfortunate typo.

The two eye-catching yellow bins, known as a Ballot Bin, have been erected on posts in Nottingham's Pelham Street. Each displays a question and two answers - but one of the bins contains a rather unfortunate spelling error. Smokers can vote by putting their cigarette butt in the slots underneath their preferred answer.

One reads: “most iconic.” The two options smokers can choose between are Robin Hood and the Left Lion. Both are two of the city's most iconic symbols. With the Left Lion as a famous meeting place in Nottingham and the city as the home of Robin Hood - it is a tough choice for smokers to choose from. As seen in the picture, so far it looks like an even vote.

The unfortunate typo was spotted by locals (Nottinghamshire Live/BPM Media)

The other poll asks smokers to choose the “best local football team”. However, it has quite a bad spelling error for one of Nottingham’s teams, reports NottinghamshireLive. It reads: “Notts c****” and “Forest.” Despite the spelling error, Notts County has a number of votes from smokers, however, it seems like Forest has racked up the most votes so far. The ‘Ballot Bins’ are created to prevent smokers from littering their cigarette butts.

The Ballot Bin website says they can be "funny, topical, and provocative". The litter stacks up behind the clear glass front in two columns, showing which answer is more popular. It adds: "The Ballot Bin is a customisable ashtray, proven to reduce cigarette butt litter by up to 73%."

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And goes on to say: "Studies show that proposals to decrease cigarette butt pollution have been largely ineffective, with cigarette butts consistently being the single most collected item in beach clean-ups and litter surveys. Smokers find the Ballot Bins much more engaging than alternative ashtrays and are more likely to use them.

Lynette Pinchess