TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Want to combine tourism with environmental protection on your next trip? Pingtung County's Dapeng Bay National Scenic Area (大鵬灣國家風景區) and HiiN Studio (海湧工作室) have launched an initiative in Liuqiu Island (小琉球) to encourage responsible tourism by exchanging discarded cigarette butts for small gifts. Organizers aim to reduce coastal litter and promote environmental awareness through this innovative campaign.
The Dapeng Bay Administration emphasized that the initiative continues the spirit of beach clean-ups, encouraging tourists to collect cigarette butts along the coast. Participants can exchange these butts for educational postcards, reinforcing the message of environmental responsibility. Local authorities said that responsible tourism is an important goal for achieving sustainable development, and they hope that reducing single-use items will help Liuqiu Island move towards this aim.
HiiN Studio, which advocates ocean protection, believes that involving adults and children in collecting cigarette butts can instill environmental values from a young age. The studio also aims to remind smokers of the consequences of littering.
Tourists can pick up cigarette butt collection tools at the Xiaoliuqiu Visitor Center (琉球遊客中心), Luna Pizza (月島星球比薩店), and other locations. After filling one bottle with cigarette butts, participants can exchange it for educational postcards. The postcards feature five stamp points, and completing the environmental action stamps allows tourists to redeem small gifts, such as cleaning cloths.