Cigarette butts are one of the most littered items in the world. The filters they contain were a marketing strategy by tobacco companies in the 1950s to address health concerns. They offer no protection to smokers, but release 300,000 tonnes of microplastics each year.
A recent Californian bill aimed to ban single-use filters and single-use vaping products. But it was watered down, lawmakers backtracking on banning the single-use cigarette filter. In mid-May the bill’s author ordered the proposal to “inactive”, perhaps to try again in a more politically amenable climate.
‘Extended producer responsibility’ - allocating responsibility for environmental harm to the tobacco industry - may be the way forward. It would see policymakers impose a fee to address the costs of waste linked to cigarettes. Tobacco companies might then modify their product to minimise negative impact. Policies to reduce microplastic waste are another option.
