Tag: Litter

  • Butts Pollution Costs $26 Billion: Study

    Butts Pollution Costs $26 Billion: Study

    Photo: Funkenzauber

    The costs of environmental pollution caused by plastics in cigarette butts and packaging amount to an estimated $26 billion every year in waste management and marine ecosystem damage worldwide, according to a data analysis published online in Tobacco Control.

    To gauge the global economic toll of tobacco waste, Deborah K. Sy of the Global Center for Good Governance in Tobacco Control in Bangkok drew on public data sources for cigarette sales, cleanup costs and plastic waste on land and sea.

    The average weight of each plastic filter is 3.4 grams. As cigarette butts are often littered along with plastic packaging, which weighs an average 19 grams for a standard pack size of 20 cigarettes, this was also included in the calculations.

    The researcher estimated the annual projections of the environmental and economic costs of tobacco plastic based on the tonnage. Ten-year projections were included because cigarette butts are reported to take 10 years to degrade.

    The total figure reflects cost estimates of cleanup and disposal (adjusted for inflation) of the total plastic generated by filtered cigarette sales potentially ending up as waste in the sea, landfills or in the environment.

    Sy estimated that the annual economic cost of cigarette plastic waste is around $26 billion, made up of $20.7 billion in marine ecosystem damage and $5 billion in waste management costs, adding up to $186 billion over 10 years.

    The costs of tobacco product plastic pollution are likely highest in China, Indonesia, Japan, Bangladesh and the Philippines, the estimates suggest.

    The research was funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies.

  • BAT Plants Flowers to Address Litter

    BAT Plants Flowers to Address Litter

    Image: Marquicio

    BAT Rothmans, the Korean unit of BAT, has started a flower planting campaign called “Kkot BAT” to help prevent litter and cigarette butts in alleys.

    “Kkot” translates to “flower” and “BAT” translates to “plot;” the campaign is placing flowerpots or flowerbeds in neighborhoods suffering from litter and illegal waste disposal.

    BAT Rothmans has secured partnerships with nongovernmental organizations with close relationships to local communities.

    “Our Kkot BAT campaign is a meaningful campaign in which companies join hands with the local community for environmental solutions,” said Kim Eun-ji, the country manager of BAT Rothmans. “We will continue to give positive influence on neighborhoods with environmental, social and corporate governance efforts.”

    BAT Rothmans signed a memorandum of understanding with the Korean National Council for Conservation of Nature Seoul branch in June and planted its first flower garden in Jung-gu, Seoul, near BAT Rothmans’ headquarters.

    Following its first campaign, BAT Rothmans will plant about 20 flower gardens all over Seoul, with plans to expand its influence to Gwanak-gu, Dobong-gu and Nowon-gu by the end of the year.

  • Study: Vape Litter Out of Control

    Study: Vape Litter Out of Control

    Photo: bennyrobo

    The majority of single-use vapes are disposed of improperly, with the number increasing, according to a Material Focus study.

    “Since we last published our research, the problem with single-use vapes has gotten further out of control,” said Scott Butler, executive director of Material Focus. “Single-use vapes are a strong contender for being the most environmentally wasteful, damaging and dangerous consumer product ever made. And still very few producers and retailers comply with environmental regulations and haven’t put recycling drop-off points and systems in place. This all means that too often local authorities are being burdened with the major operational and financial headaches associated with what is now the fastest growing and most dangerous waste stream in the U.K., single-use vapes.

    “Vapes, like any other electrical with a plug, battery or cable, should never be binned and always be recycled as a minimum. We need rapid growth in the number of accessible and visible vape recycling drop-off points. And we need proper financing of genuine recycling solutions to recover materials and manage fire risks. The solution is clear: immediate, significant and transparent vape industry voluntary action in advance of planned regulatory changes already earmarked by Defra. The U.K. needs more accessible recycling drop-off points in stores, in parks, in public spaces near offices, bars and pubs, and in schools, colleges and universities. With 75 percent of vapers thinking that producers and retailers should provide more information that states that vapes can be recycled, the word ‘disposable’ should no longer be used in any marketing and promotion.

    “Until single-use vape producers, importers and retailers act to genuinely comply with and finance their legal environmental responsibilities, then the calls for banning the sale of them will only strengthen.” 

    The U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) acknowledged the environmental challenge posted by single-use vape and said it was committed to helping develop solutions to the problem.

    “We welcome the solutions put forward by Material Focus and are leading industry action in a number of these areas and more,” the UKVIA wrote in a statement. “Education of consumers about how to recycle single-use vapes; product innovations that enhance recycling rates; compliance with the current regulations; and investment in waste collection points at point of use and not just at point of sale are all critical in reducing the environmental impact of single-use vapes.

    “We must protect the environment while also recognizing the contribution disposable vapes have made in helping adult smokers start on their quit journeys, in turn helping to achieve the government’s 2030 smoke-free ambition. The devices are one of the main reasons why for a second year running, smoking rates have hit record low levels in Great Britain, according to Office of National Statistics data published this week. Cigarettes are also still the single most littered item on the planet. Over a billion smokers worldwide discard a combined 4.5 trillion cigarette butts every year.

    “Over 250 people die every day in the U.K. from smoking, and cigarettes cost the NHS [National Health Service] around £2.6 billion [$3.25 billion] every year; this is a huge price to pay, and disposable vapes offer a highly effective, proven and considerably less harmful alternative than conventional cigarettes because of their accessibility, ease of use and price points.”

    The UKVIA added that they will be launching a “Sustainable Vaping Week” to help educate e-cigarette users about proper disposal of single-use, and other, devices.

    Secondhand Smoke Can Increase Lead Levels: Study

    Secondhand smoke may be a source of chronic lead exposure in children and adolescents, according to a recent BMC Public Health study.  

    The study analyzed national data on blood lead levels and secondhand smoke exposure in children and teenagers ages 6 to 19 from 2015 to 2018. Levels of lead and cotinine were assessed, and it was found that average blood lead levels in what was considered the intermediate and high tobacco smoke exposure groups were 18 percent and 29 percent higher, respectively, than levels in the lowest tobacco smoke exposure group. The study also showed that a larger number of boys had detectable lead levels as well as a larger number of Black children and adolescents compared to other ethnic groups studied.

    Children aged 6 to 10 were more likely to have elevated lead levels than older subjects, and children in low-income households had a 27 percent higher lead level than children from high-income households.

    This lead exposure creates a dangerous situation for youth; lead does not dilute when exposure decreases and the body does not naturally excrete the metal. Lead accumulates in the bones and leaches into blood, and exposure can lead to numerous neurological problems like nerve damage, cognitive problems, loss of IQ points and potentially Alzheimer’s disease and schizophrenia. The only way to remove lead from the body is through an oral medical treatment, according to the Conversation.

     

     

  • Study: Filter Ban Only Way to Halt Pollution

    Study: Filter Ban Only Way to Halt Pollution

    Photo: Yakiv

    Banning cigarette filters is the only way to stop tobacco product pollution, according to a new study published by the Dutch sustainability think tank CE Delft and reported by Dutch News.

    Every year, Dutch smokers discard an estimated 200 million to 7.1 billion cigarette butts into the environment.

    The current policy of limiting toxic waste by discouraging smoking is not working, according to CE Delft. The organization is also skeptical about the potential of butt deposit schemes. Consumer research has shown that just over one quarter of smokers said they would be willing to hold on to their butts until they had an opportunity to discard them at a collection point.

    Dutch Junior Environment Minister Vivianne Heijnen wants to reduce the number of discarded filters, which contain plastics and chemicals, by 70 percent in 2026. The current measures, which include general awareness campaigns and a smoking ban on beaches, have resulted in only a 15 percent decrease, CE Delft found.

    In 2022 alone, volunteers collected almost 90,000 cigarette butts during a two-week cleanup of the Dutch beaches, amid 4,400 kilos of waste left by beachgoers.

    A ban on cigarette filters will become feasible in 2026 when the European Union will review its rules on single-use plastics, the report noted.

  • Baltimore Sues Tobacco Companies Over Litter

    Baltimore Sues Tobacco Companies Over Litter

    Photo: Tobacco Reporter archive

    The city of Baltimore is suing several major tobacco companies, requesting as much as $5 million annually for the cleanup of cigarette butt litter, according to WBALTV11.

    Since 2014, more than 12 million cigarette butts have been cleaned up from the waters surrounding Baltimore, city officials said.

    “There are all kinds of cleanup problems, from catching them [cigarette butts] to getting rid of the chemicals they leave in their wake,” said James Shea, Baltimore City solicitor.

    The lawsuit alleges that the tobacco companies have refused to place warnings on their boxes explaining how to properly dispose of filters and that they have chosen not to make filters biodegradable.

    “They didn’t change it—according to documents we’ve seen—to biodegradable filters because smokers preferred the draw that comes with the filter,” Shea said.

    The ultimate goal is to see the companies become more environmentally friendly, according to Shea. “We’d like to have the practice stop, but, in the meantime, we want damages in the nature of cleanup costs and their fines associated with various litter ordinances that are being violated.”

    The companies have 30 days to respond in court.

  • UN to Raise Awareness of Microplastics Impact

    UN to Raise Awareness of Microplastics Impact

    Photo: miklyxa

    The UN Environment Program (UNEP) and the Secretariat of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) will launch a social media campaign to raise awareness about the environmental and health impacts of microplastics in cigarette butts, the United Nations reports on its website.

    Cigarettes are the most discarded waste item worldwide. Globally, more than 6 trillion cigarettes are produced annually, each containing filters, or butts, that are mainly composed of microplastics known as cellulose acetate fibers.

    However, cigarette butts that are not properly disposed of get broken down by factors such as sunlight and moisture, thus releasing microplastics, heavy metals and many other chemicals, according to the UN.

    Cigarette butts account for more than 766 million kilograms of toxic trash each year. They are also the most common plastic litter on beaches, making marine ecosystems more susceptible to microplastic leakages.

    When ingested, the hazardous chemicals in microplastics cause long-term mortality in marine life, including birds, fish, mammals, plants and reptiles. 

    These microplastics also enter the food chain and are associated with serious human health impacts, which can include changes to genetics, brain development, respiration rates and more.

    The social media campaign will aim to engage influencers, as well as UNEP’s Goodwill Ambassadors and Young Champions of the Earth.

    It will also include a political advocacy angle by highlighting a recent European Union directive that requires all tobacco products with plastic filters to be labelled clearly. The goal is to encourage the public to advocate for similar changes globally.

    “The Secretariat of the WHO FCTC has the technical expertise of the impact of tobacco products on not just human health but also on environment,” said Atif Butt, UNEP’s chief of public advocacy. 

    “By joining UNEP’s and the Secretariat of the WHO FCTC’s expertise together under the Clean Seas activation on microplastics, we aim to highlight how our health is intrinsically linked to that of our planet.”

  • Crows Trained to Pick up Cigarette Butts

    Crows Trained to Pick up Cigarette Butts

    Photo: Eric Isselée

    A Swedish company is deploying crows to pick up discarded cigarette butts from the streets and squares of a town near Stockholm as part of a cost-cutting drive, reports The Guardian.

    The wild birds receive a little food for every butt that they deposit in a customized machine.

    Christian Günther-Hanssen, the founder of Corvid Cleaning, the company behind the method, estimates that his method could save at least 75 percent of the costs associated with picking up cigarette butts in the city.

    More than 1 billion cigarette butts are left on Sweden’s streets each year, representing 62 percent of all litter, according to The Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation says that. Södertälje spends SEK 20 million ($2.19 million) on street cleaning.

    Södertälje is carrying out a pilot project before potentially rolling out the operation across the city, with the health of the birds being the key consideration given the type of waste involved.

    New Caledonian crows, a member of the corvid family of birds, are as good at reasoning as a human seven-year-old, research has suggested, making them the smartest birds for the job.

    “They are easier to teach and there is also a higher chance of them learning from each other,” said Günther-Hanssen. “At the same time, there’s a lower risk of them mistakenly eating any rubbish.

    Tomas Thernström, a waste strategist at Södertälje municipality, said the potential of the pilot depended on financing.

    “It would be interesting to see if this could work in other environments as well. Also from the perspective that we can teach crows to pick up cigarette butts, but we can’t teach people not to throw them on the ground. That’s an interesting thought,” he said.

  • California Pushes to Ban Single-Use Filters

    California Pushes to Ban Single-Use Filters

    Photo: lienkie

    California lawmakers want to ban single-use cigarette filters, e-cigarettes and vape products in the state with the aim of benefiting the environment and public health, according to a story in The Los Angeles Times.

    Assembly Bill 1690 would authorize local prosecutors to levy a fine of $500 per violation, defined as the sale of one to 20 items.

    Supporters of the bill say cigarette filters offer no health benefits but cost the state millions of dollars to clean up and release toxic microplastics into the environment.

    Roughly 12 billion cigarettes are sold in California each year, 90 percent of which are filtered, according to San Diego State epidemiology and biostatistics professor Thomas Novotny.

    Nicholas Mallos, senior director of the Trash Free Seas Program at the Ocean Conservancy, said that in 2020 cigarette butts made up nearly 30 percent of the trash collected by volunteers on Coastal Cleanup Day. The city of Los Angeles alone incurs an estimated $19 million a year in cigarette filter clean-up costs. Public agencies statewide spend about $41 million a year.

    The bill also targets vape products, which contain batteries and fluids that damage the environment. Reusable and rechargeable vape products would still be available under AB 1690.

    Similar bills previously proposed have been unsuccessful due to “tobacco money,” according to proponents of the legislation. Assemblymember Mark Stone believes this time will be different due to a “growing awareness” of the issues and a “stronger coalition” of supporters.

    The bill does not include a target date for when the ban would take effect.

     

  • Industry Should Pay for Cleaning Cigarette Litter

    Industry Should Pay for Cleaning Cigarette Litter

    Photo: Pixabay

    The United Kingdom is considering a plan to force big tobacco companies to pay the annual cost of cleaning up discarded cigarette butts.

    The move comes after fresh evidence reveals that cleaning up littered cigarette butts currently costs U.K. local authorities around £40 million ($55 million) per year. Despite smoking rates being at their lowest recorded level, cigarette filters continue to be the most littered item in England.

    Among the options being looked at by ministers is a regulatory extended producer responsibility scheme for cigarette butts in England, a new power currently being legislated for in the environment bill. This would require the tobacco industry to pay the full disposal costs of tobacco waste products, ensuring the sector takes sufficient financial responsibility for the litter its products create.

    “Cigarette butts are a blight on our communities, littering our streets or ending up washed down the drain and polluting our rivers and oceans,” said Environment Minister Rebecca Pow in a government press note. “We must all take action to protect our environment. We are committed to making sure that the tobacco industry plays its part. That is why we are exploring how cigarette companies can be held fully accountable for the unsightly scourge of litter created by their products.”

    We must all take action to protect our environment. We are committed to making sure that the tobacco industry plays its part.

    Rebecca Pow, U.K. environment minister

    “We are making excellent progress in our ambition to be a smoke-free country by 2030, with smoking rates at a record low,” said Public Health Minister Jo Churchill. “While this is making a substantial impact on the public health of the country, the environmental impact of smoking due to cigarette butt and package littering is still a major issue.”

    According to Keep Britain Tidy research, smoking-related litter is the most prevalent form of litter in England, making up 68 percent of all littered items and found on around 80 percent of surveyed sites.

    Most cigarette butts are single-use plastic and contain hundreds of toxic chemicals once smoked. Littered cigarette filters can persist in the environment for many years and release these chemicals to air, land and water, harming plant growth and wildlife.

    According to the Litter Strategy for England, the most effective way to tackle smoking-related litter is by reducing the prevalence of smoking in the first place. The government is committed and will publish a new tobacco control plan for England later this year to deliver its ambition of a smoke-free country by 2030.

    The environment bill will allow the government to legislate for extended producer responsibility schemes, which could be applied to tobacco products. Cigarette and tobacco product packaging is already covered by the proposed packaging producer responsibility scheme, which is currently undergoing a second phase of consultation.

    At the September roundtable on smoking-related litter, Pow encouraged parties to consider whether a nonregulatory producer responsibility scheme could be developed for tobacco waste products. Having considered further evidence, the government has decided that a regulatory approach may be required to ensure that the industry takes sufficient financial responsibility for the litter created by its products and to prevent them from undermining public health policy.

    In August, Pow threatened the tobacco industry with tough action unless it did a better job of controlling cigarette litter.

  • U.K. Firms Told to Step up Litter Control

    U.K. Firms Told to Step up Litter Control

    Photo: Tobacco Reporter archive

    U.K. environment minister Rebecca Pow has threatened the tobacco industry with tough action unless it does a better job of controlling cigarette litter.

    In letters sent to Philip Morris, Japan Tobacco International and the Tobacco Manufacturers Association (TMA), Pow described smoking-related litter as a particularly persistent and widespread problem

    “I had hoped to see the TMA and the companies it represents work more proactively to deliver on the commitment it gave during the 2015 select committee inquiry on litter and fly-tipping.”

    Pow said she was prepared to hold talks with the tobacco industry and Keep Britain Tidy (KBT) but kept open the option of additional steps if the roundtable yielded insufficient progress.

    “We will have to reflect on what steps the government can take going forward to ensure that the tobacco industry takes increasing responsibility for the litter that its products create,” she said.

    Pow warned this “could go beyond what KBT has proposed to the industry as a voluntary approach”.

    The Environment Bill contains clauses that would allow the creation of an environmental permitting regulations scheme for tobacco filters.