The government of Malta is working to make tobacco companies responsible for the cost of disposing cigarette butts, in line with the European Union’s Single-Use Plastics (SUP) Directive, reports Malta Today.
Cigarette butts account for 22 percent of waste collected from European beaches. A survey conducted by the environment ministry in 2021 found that 11 percent of smokers admit to throwing cigarette butts on the floor.
Nearly all filters in circulation today are made of plastic fibers that won’t break down organically. Studies show that it may take up to 10 years for a cigarette butt to decompose.
Malta’s draft legal notice introduces a framework compelling tobacco producers to cover the costs associated with clean-up efforts, waste receptacles and public awareness campaigns. The industry will also be required to fund the waste management of their products through a producer responsibility organization (PRO). Until a PRO is set up, Malta’s Environment and Resources Authority will allocate the costs according to tobacco companies’ market shares.