#15 Cigarette Butts
Are you aware that discarded cigarette butts are the most collected item in worldwide beach cleanups annually? The Keep America Beautiful program surveyed Americans and found that 77% didn’t think cigarette butts were litter. In fact, cigarette butts are a form of non-biodegradable litter that pollute streets, rivers, and oceans worldwide.
Up in smoke, litter is no joke.
With 1 billion cigarette smokers worldwide, the environmental impact of cigarette butts is substantial. It is estimated that trillions of toxic cigarette butts have been discarded into the environment – and with over 5 trillion cigarettes produced annually – it’s bound to get worse. Shifting our mindset on the proper disposal of cigarette butts is necessary for the health of our environment.
Facts on Cigarettes:
Approximately 10 million cigarettes are purchased every minute, worldwide.
4.5 trillion cigarette butts are littered annually.
More than one-third of all litter collected is made up of cigarette butts.
Cities spend between 3 and 16 million dollars annually on cigarette cleanup.
Cigarette butts are toxic waste; containing plastics, tar and arsenic.
Cigarettes do not break down naturally. Depending on conditions – cigarettes can take up to 8 years to break down.
How Can I Make An Impact?
Action 1: Global Goodness
Stop smoking.
Let family members and friends know the risks of smoking and its effect on their health, and the health of the environment.
If you see cigarette litter on the ground, do your part by picking it up.
Action 2: Planet Protector
All of Action 1.
Lobby your local businesses to invest in cigarette waste receptacles. Studies showed that for every cigarette receptacle added – cigarette litter dropped by 9%.
Host a cigarette butt cleanup. Gather your community to clean up cigarette waste.
Action 3: Earth Angel
All of Actions 1 & 2.
Support causes that end tobacco use. The more awareness we spread about tobacco use, the more we will see a reduction in smoking – thus reducing the amount of cigarette waste.
Lobby the tobacco industry to improve their materials. Ask them to produce more biodegradable, environmentally friendly filters.
Choose to be an Ambassador for Change, and always Spread Loveand Spread Light.
