The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (Seatca) is urging the United Nations to impose a global ban on plastic-based cigarette filters, as final negotiations for a global plastic pollution treaty take place in Geneva this week. Seatca warned that 460 billion cigarette butts are discarded annually in ASEAN countries alone, contributing to a global total of 4.5 trillion. “The filters, made of cellulose acetate, degrade slowly, releasing toxic microplastics, nicotine, and heavy metals into ecosystems,” the organization said.
Calling cigarette filters “a health fraud and an environmental hazard,” Seatca demanded the treaty enforce the polluter-pays principle, reject industry lobbying, and require mandatory cleanup systems for tobacco waste. They also criticized so-called “eco-filters” and “green butts” as greenwashing tactics, insisting that no sustainable alternatives exist for cigarette filters and calling for a complete ban on all types.
Seatca estimates that ASEAN countries currently spend $10 billion annually to clean up cigarette filter waste.
