Cigarette Butt Litter

The Problem

Cigarette butts are littered everyday. According to Keep America Beautiful, people who liter are most likely to be seen before they walk into a building; step onto a bus; walk around a fair; drive a car; head to their office; go into a mall; wait on a train platform; stand by a dock; or walk by a construction site. Cigarette butts are 34.45% of the litter accounted for in 2003’s Landscape Underwater U.S. Cleanups.

Not only are cigarettes being dropped by litterers, but so are lighters, matches, and cigarette packages. Buildings with no ash cans and garbage cans by the entrance find cigarettes thrown into the grass or on the sidewalk. Ashes are tapped out of windows instead of in car ashtrays. On cigarete packages, there is no warning about cigarette butt litter, and smokers may not realize their effect.

Because cigarettes are so lightweight, they can be carried into waterways, gardens, grass, and forests. When wildlife and dogs get ahold of cigarette litter, the nicotine inside is a health hazard. One half of a cigarette butt can kill 100% of animals, according to a test completed by Clean Virginia Waterways! It takes years for the cellulose acetate in cigarettes to biodegrade.

The Solution

Some of the best ways to stop cigarette litter is for smokers to stand next to a trash can. After smokers finish a cigarette, dump it into the ash receptacle or throw the cigarette in a garbage. Disposing of cigarettes near motor vehicles is dangerous because of gas leaks. Stay away from street curbs.

Smokers should also use their automobile ashtrays. Many car ashtrays are removable and can be dumped when getting gas or into a car litter bag. Stay away from sewers when getting rid of cigarette butts. Storm water carries litter into oceans, lakes, and ponds. Business owners, please post “No Smoking” signs in highly visible areas where trash cans are not present.