our problem
Cigarette butts
the world's most common litter item
Every year more than 4,5 billion cigarette butts end up in nature.
That makes cigarette butts the most common litter item in the world.
On top of those, comes all the butts that land on streets and roads in cities across the world, costing local governments many millions dollars in cleaning every year.
releasing TOXIC CHEMICALS
Not only do cigarette filters contain
micro plast.
They also absorb a lot of the waste materials from the tobacco, which then shortly after thrown away, when it's no longer hot, will be released again - only to be absorbed by plants and animals.
Among others these are toxic chemicals such as arsenic (used in labs to kill rats).
cigarette butts contain microplast
It's not a very known fact, but most cigarette butts are actually made of non-biodegradable cellulose acetate.
This type of plastic ranks second of the BAN list of the "worst types of plastic for the environment".
Studies show that it takes up to 5 years for one cigarette butt to degrade naturally.
Cigarette butts are becoming animal food
Studies show that many animals: birds, fish and smaller insects can't tell cigarette butts from their diet.
Due to the combination of microplast and toxic chemicals from the tobacco most animals either die or get seriously ill after eating a cigarette butt.