A NEW campaign has been launched to get smokers in Cumnock and Doon Valley to dispose of their cigarette butts responsibly.

The National Trust for Scotland has teamed up with environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful to raise awareness of the growing problem of cigarette litter and provide pocket ashtrays to help combat the issue.

The charity are offering free “Minibins” at National Trust visitor centres to encourage smokers to be dispose of them properly.

Georgina Massouraki, roadside litter campaign officer at Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “Our roadside litter campaign is a unique opportunity for industry, the public sector, charity and government to all work in partnership and tackle the problem and raise awareness of this blight on our environment. We are very pleased to welcome the National Trust for Scotland on board to help us tackle the blight of cigarette litter on Scotland’s iconic landscape.

“Disposing of cigarette litter out of a car window, or on the ground when out and about, is deeply habitual yet exceptionally harmful. By providing free Minibins we are making it easy for people to do the right thing. Anyone can access the Minibins either at a National Trust for Scotland centre or online.

There are no excuses for littering cigarette butts. No ifs. No butts.”

The spill-proof “Minibin”

ashtrays are available to order online at www.

keepscotlandbeautiful.org/ roadside-litter.