#15 Cigarette Butts
#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 Love and Spread Light.
Facts References:
https://www.verywellmind.com/world-cigarette-litter-facts-that-will-shock-you-2824735
https://truthinitiative.org/news/3-things-you-can-do-about-toxic-cigarette-litter
https://truthinitiative.org/news/5-ways-cigarette-litter-impacts-environment
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2697937/
