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Employees from one of Canada's leading tobacco companies took to the streets of downtown Toronto today to sweep sidewalks clean of cigarette butts in the latest event to mark its new Unsmoke campaign.

More than five dozen employees from Rothmans, Benson & Hedges Inc. (RBH), clad in yellow t-shirts, swept streets around Yonge-Dundas Square clear of cigarette butts in the first of a series of anti-littering events across Canada.

"At RBH, we want to rid Canada of cigarette smoke to create a smoke-free future," said Peter Luongo, managing director of RBH, who picked up butts himself.

"That starts by getting Canadians to butt out entirely – and to clean our streets of cigarettes."

RBH launched its national Unsmoke Campaign earlier this week with a keynote speech at the Empire Club in Torontoand a national social media campaign.

"The message of Unsmoke is clear – if you don't smoke, don't start. If you smoke, quit. If you don't quit, change."

The company hosted Cigarette Butt Clean-Up Day at Yonge-Dundas Square to flag its commitment to partnering with governments and communities to create a smoke-free Canada. The company is open to invitations to participate in similar anti-litter events in communities where it has employees.

"We are looking to keep our streets clean with more litter bins and special receptacles for cigarette butts – for as long as there are still cigarettes in Canada," Luongo said.

RBH is committed to a smoke-free future and wants to eliminate cigarettes by 2035.

"For change like this to happen, we need governments, consumers and society all to play a role," Luongo said.

"We can launch Unsmoke – but we can't Unsmoke Canada alone."