A tiny problem is adding up to a huge mess in Charlotte. Now, a local group wants drivers to become spies in the litter war.

They are so common, drivers may not even notice anymore. But take a closer look at any road or intersection around Charlotte, you'll probably see cigarette butts.

Smoker Tamara Pareja said it's especially bad in uptown Charlotte.

"If you look in the grates in the city streets it's like a giant ashtray," she said.

The group Keep Mecklenburg Beautiful is fighting back with a huge billboard on Third Street uptown right next to I-277.

The three story banner says Get your butts off Charlotte streets.

Jake Wilson is an environmental specialist for Mecklenburg County.

He said the signs encourage people to report drivers who flick their cigarettes out the window.

"Cigarette butts aren't biodegradeable they will stay around for over ten years. Keep it in your car take it home and dispose of it responsibly," he said.

The cigarettes create a fire danger and can also be dangerous for Mecklenburg County's shrinking budget. Each year, the county and the city of Charlotte spend millions cleaning up trash on our roads.

But Wilson said there is also a health cost. The cigarettes have toxins that leak into the waterways whenever it rains.

If somone reports you police can track your license plate. You get a letter in the mail saying you could get a $300 fine for littering if police catch you doing it.

Report people who litter by calling 704-432-1772.