Plastic Pollution from Cigarettes Costs a Staggering Amount Per Year, New Study Shows

There are several reasons why smoking cigarettes is bad. However, a recent study highlights one alarming reason that often goes overlooked. A significant amount of plastic pollution is traceable to cigarette butts. Indeed, this Pollution costs the world 26 billion United States Dollars (USD) per year. 

Source: National Geographic/YouTube

Plastics are often used in cigarette packaging. Additionally, they are present in cigarette filters. After the cigarette is smoked, these filters remain in the butt. Since cigarette butts are the planet’s most littered items, these plastics often find their way into the environment. There, they wreak havoc. 

Filters found in cigarettes contain both microplastic fibers and toxic chemicals such as lead and arsenic. As these chemicals and plastics enter the environment, they contaminate water and cause adverse outcomes for wildlife. This is particularly true for our oceans and other aquatic ecosystems. Even on land, animals sometimes eat cigarette butts thinking that they are food.

China has the most cigarette smokers in the world. An estimated 300 million smokers live in the country. It is also the world’s leading producer of tobacco products. The study’s author, Deborah Sy, estimates that China incurs roughly 20 percent of the global cost associated with plastic waste from cigarettes. Indonesia, Bangladesh, Japan, and the Philippines are also named as high potential contributors to plastic Pollution from cigarette waste. 

To minimize environmental damage from cigarettes, the study calls on nations around the world to include cigarettes in a global waste policy. This aligns with the World Health Organization’s recommendation that cigarette filters be treated as single-use plastics. To minimize plastic Pollution from cigarettes, the WHO has asked that governments consider banning these filters. 

The study also suggests that companies that produce tobacco products should shoulder part of the cost of preventing plastic pollution. These companies would also be asked to fund efforts focused on mitigating the damage done by plastics that have already entered the environment. 

Sign this petition to Urge Countries to Ban Single-Use Plastics!

Solution Not Pollution by Tiny Rescue: Climate Collection

Related Content: 

• How E-Cigarettes and Vaping Damage the Environment and Your Health
• New World Health Organization Report Reveals Cigarette Butts as Main Driver of Microplastic Pollution
• Why the Impact of Eating Bacon Might be Worse for Your Health and the Planet Than Cigarettes
• Plastic Pollution is Ruining Marine Life Reproduction
• The UN’s New Attempt to Curb Global Plastic Pollution

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