Cigarette Butts: a Global Environmental Problem

Plastic straw bans are all the rage now (though mostly in places where they would never end up in the ocean anyway), but the primary source of ocean waste is actually cigarette butts. Made from cellulose acetate fibers, which take decades to break down, cigarette filters have become the most littered object in the world, according to The Ocean Conservancy. The group has been sponsoring beach cleanups for 32 years, and reports that butts make up a third of all collected trash, which is no wonder, as over 5 and a half trillion cigarettes are manufactured every year. According to the Cigarette Butt Pollution Project, two thirds of these are littered into the environment, ending up in the ocean through runoff, and eventually in marine life. 30% of turtles and 70% of seabirds were found to be contaminated with the plastic in recent surveys, along with hundreds of chemicals used to treat tobacco. Scientist don't yet know all the ways in which micro-plastics and other tobacco waste products affect animal -and human- health.

Cigarette manufacturers have managed to avoid disposal regulations for the most part, though several groups are hoping to change that. Some lawmakers and environmental groups are pulling for a ban of the filters altogether. They cite a lack of health benefits from using filters, as well as their ubiquity as litter to justify this move. So far though, the only progress has come with tacked-on fees for smokers, like the extra 60 cents San Franciscans pay to defray the costs of clean-up efforts. Filters were introduced around 70 years ago to address health concerns, but in reality are mostly a marketing tool, as research shows the have little effect on preventing inhalation of toxic substances in smoke. In addition, filters are suspected of encouraging people to to inhale more deeply and smoke more frequently.

In efforts to avoid being held responsible for such massive pollution, companies have experimented with biodegradable filters, recycling programs, mass distribution of ashtrays, and large anti-littering campaigns, all to little avail.

Most smokers simply prefer to flick their butts, many believing them to be made of a biodegradable material like cotton. Many reported that flicking their butts was part of the ritual, which plays into the rebellious/ defiant nature of smoking that plays a subconscious part of many addictions. Previously attempted alternatives to cellulose acetate filters make the smoke harsher, or less satisfying, according to trial participants, and lack of pressure has left the status quo intact.

A French amusement park recently trained a crows to collect butts and other trash.

A San Diego-based startup called Greenbutts is introducing an organic filter that will biodegrade quickly, composed of wood pulp, tencel and Manila hemp bound with a natural starch. The company says it is ready for production, but is counting on the government to incentivize or mandate the use of the product. Government backing faces some large hurdles though, the forefront of which is the massive campaign contributions that politicians receive from cigarette producers. Public support for a ban is growing, so we may yet see cigarette butts replacing plastic straws as a major target for nationwide bans.