Yes—there are urban trash bins made specifically for cigarette butts and small litter, and you have probably walked past quite a few without noticing. They are usually part of street furniture rather than ordinary general-waste bins. The most obvious type is a dedicated cigarette butt receptacle: a slim metal unit mounted on a pole, wall, or bin, with a small opening, an internal extinguishing plate, and a removable tray for emptying. Some look like compact ashtrays, while others are larger public bins with a cigarette stubber built into the top.
A second common design is the combined litter bin and ashtray. These units have a general litter opening for wrappers, receipts, cup lids, and other small items, plus a separate cigarette compartment on top or at the side. The best versions keep cigarette waste separate from recyclables and general trash, which reduces smell, mess, and fire risk. Many also have small openings that discourage people from stuffing in household bags, which is a big problem for street bins.
You will see these bins most often in city centers, bus stops, train stations, parks, plazas, outside offices, bars, and fast-food outlets. Designers like them because cigarette butts are a stubborn form of small litter: they are lightweight, easy to drop, and contain plastic and chemical residue. A well-placed butt bin makes proper disposal easy at the exact moment someone finishes a cigarette.
That said, not every city has them, and not every bin designed for butts works well. Maintenance matters. If the tray is not emptied often, the unit overflows or smells bad; if the opening is too small or poorly placed, people ignore it. The most effective urban bins are clearly labeled, fire-safe, easy to clean, and placed near entrances, seating, crossings, and smoking areas.
So the short answer is yes: dedicated cigarette butt bins and combined small-litter receptacles are real, useful pieces of urban design. They are not just trash cans with an ashtray on top—they are targeted tools for keeping sidewalks cleaner and reducing one of the most common forms of street litter.