The Instagram account Initiatives 10 aimed to raise awareness among the public and convey a message to politicians regarding the condition of certain tree pits in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
“The majority are filled with litter and cigarette ends, which not only gives them an unkempt appearance but is also detrimental to the growth of the city’s trees and significantly harmful to the environment overall,” they emphasise.
Consequently, some residents of Santa Cruz have taken it upon themselves to clean these tree pits by hand, collecting an astonishing amount of cigarette butts: “The City Council needs to improve its efforts, but citizens can make a significant contribution through actions like keeping the city tidy and caring for the tree pits and trees outside our homes, businesses, or workplaces.”
They report that “in just five tree pits” they filled three 1.5-litre water bottles with cigarette butts: “These are immensely damaging to our ecosystem.”
Tree pits are unsealed areas on pavements or paved sections surrounding trees. Their primary role is to facilitate the growth of trees in urban settings by providing access to soil and water for the roots. Additionally, tree pits serve to shield trees from harm inflicted by pedestrians and vehicles while promoting rainwater drainage and minimising soil compaction.
