Cigarette butt problem!!!

[CommercialCuts]

Any of you guys have problems with cigg butts at your commercial accounts. If so how did you solve the problem, did you find something or make something. Most of the leaf suckers do not come with the small tubes like they used to because created to much suction and would suck up rocks and bust the blades. The way they are set up now you have to be directly over the butt to suck it up. Thanx for your feedback!!!!!!

[Mr.Ziffel]

Why is it that smokers don't think that throwing a butt on the ground is littering? I keep my place very neat and clean and I can't believe the number of times I've had people standing right in front of me just flick their butt onto my yard or drive. I just tell them, "Someone's going to have to pick that up and since it's either me or you, I guess you better do it." Only a couple of them have even looked embarrased about it; most of them look at me like I'm nuts [but they always pick it up--I'm 6'3", 275].

Sorry a pet peeve of mine, but the question is, Are these accounts paying you to do their lawn or pick up their litter? Another pet peeve of mine is the amount of litter I have to pick up along my frontage before I mow--I've been trying to catch one of them for two years now, but that's another story. Back to the subject.

I know that you should expect to pick up a certain amount of debris instead of just mowing over it, but are you being hired to do litter clean up or lawn maintenance? If litter is excessive, you should make a distinction to the property manager and charge adequately for pre-mow pickup. If it's part of your deal with them, then so be it.

If your vac won't pick up, a neighbor of my sister-in-law manufacturers a commercial quality 'arm extension' which is two feet long with a pincer on one end operated by squeezing the handle on the other end. Works great. If you can't find them anywhere I'll ask her.
Will

[moonarrow]

I would talk to the owner or manager and explain the prob. and mabey even suggest butt dispensers be placed in problem ares. I have done this and has helped. as far as excessive trash I mention it to the owner that I don't mind picking up a little trash here and there but I am not the trash collector and they generally take care of the problem. Good luck

[powerreel]

I have a building with a very large telemarketing room in it, I mean 200 people at a time on each shift. It seems they all smoke and leave styrofoam cups half full and half melted with butts, not to mention fast food debris. I hate it! If you blow the entry way a cloud of ash that would rival Mount St. Helens gets kicked up, I bought this http://billygoat.com/kd511SP-L.html .Half eaten hot dogs, soda cans, needles,crack vials,beer bottles,newspaper,and those pesky cig butts ( I really wish they would raise the price to $9 a pack like in canada!),try one and be free of debris.

[Turf Cutters]

I mulch the butts. Non of my accounts have complained yet. I don't smoke and I will not clean up after a smoker. It seems people do not care what they throw on the ground or where. I was tought to pick up after myself and I expect other people to do the same.

[scottt]

The only thing I hate more than the butts are empty packs. Sometimes if the grass is high I miss them on my initial cleanup. There are so many little pieces of paper to pick up after you run over them.

[Indiana]

I bought a Stihl HG85 with the vacuum attachment last January at the GGIA show. I have a couple of banks that are particular about debris in the parking areas.

I paid $229 for it. MAN does it work good for butts, leaves, and paper trash. It also doubles as a hand-held blower for roof clean-ups, gutters, and to have an extra blower. The vacuum is stronger than the blower, it seems.

I really like it. It puts it all in a zippered bag and I dump it into a Walker bag to dump later. Most of the time I can get all the parking lot debris into one bag full.

[stick9]

I say the gov't should raise the price of cigarettes by 2 bux a pack, THEN, you get 10 cent for each cirgarette butt that you take back to the recycling center .. there's yer two bux back and keeps the ground clean.

stICk-NinE

SPEAK and YOU SHALL BE HEARD

[Paradise Yard Service]

Get this. The manager of the townhouse I service throws his butts around the property under the Hibiscus hedges. I rake out the hedges every week anyway but it seems like he does this to be sure I don't miss anything. If there are any butts around after my visit, he knows I did'nt do the work.
The pay is good so I don't mind but my time could be used more productivly.
Aloha, PYS

BE KIND TO THE PEOPLE YOU MEET ON THE WAY UP, BECAUSE THEY ARE THE SAME ONES YOU MEET ON THE WAY DOWN!

[CommercialCuts]

Thanx for the replies. As i figured i would probably buy a leaf blower/vac to solve the problem, but was just wondering if anyone else had the same problem. This is a big manufacturing plant that houses about 1500 employees, cigg butt receptacles everywhere, but they are still all over the place and as far as mulching them it dont seem to work for me, there is always that little puffy white filter laying every where and thats what management dont like. So if i invent something i should be able to sell the d@# things pretty easy the way it sounds!!!!!!!
Thanx again for the advice, is always greatly appreciated!!!

[Rufur]

butts can be real problems retail chains sometimes wont use ashtrays because of image vacs can be hard to work esp in the winter when grass is dormant(cant mulch em) butts in the mulch is a pain just the same if not worse Ive put out many mulch fires esp last year during drought...I use a blower...it gets em out of sidewalk craks best and is more efficient on grass if its a serious prob in the mulch I recommend applying new mulch 2-3 x year

[HOMER]

I use my little hand held Stihl blower converted to a "sucker". It gets everything I put it to, even Lava rocks! I would have to say in no uncertain terms, my blower SUCKS!

HOMER