Greece proposed a new framework that would require tobacco companies to help fund the cleanup of cigarette butts from beaches and public spaces, under the “polluter pays” principle. The plan would create a nationwide collection system to finance municipal cleanup efforts and install public ashtrays and bins. The Hellenic Recycling Organization has set reduction targets of 10% fewer scattered butts within three years and 30% within five, as Greece seeks to curb one of the country’s most visible forms of pollution.
Environmental group WWF Greece welcomed the move but said it doesn’t go far enough, urging the government to impose a €0.019 per-filter fee to create an independent cleanup and innovation fund. Cigarette filters, classified as single-use plastics since 2020 under EU law, were supposed to be managed under a national system starting in 2023, but implementation has been delayed by negotiations with the tobacco industry.