Here we have an innovative use of social media, for a social cause. And best of all, it’s based right here in Cape Town.

Cape Town is known for wildfires and summer, and the strong winds and dry vegetation mean fires can start quickly and easily get out of hand. These cause environmental as well as economic damage and can endanger the lives of both people and animals.

In the past few years, 021-4247715 has been the go-to phone number for people who want to report cigarette butt throwers in Cape Town. People could phone in to report people throwing cigarette butts out in public, or even phone in car registration numbers of people who were throwing them out.

But now, Twitter is making it easier to report cigarette butt throwers than ever before. By following @stompiesa users can report people throwing cigarette butts immediately, and can even attach pictures of the offending car number plates. This is a great example of how social media can enrich our lives and add value to society.

So Twitter is not just about telling people what you had for lunch (it was a chicken tikka sandwich, thank you very much) it’s also about stopping wildfires.