6 billion cigarette butts could be used in recycled content programs each year, if the right level of funding and stewardship was achieved, according to No More Butts.
Shannon Mead of No More Butts, says “Our vision is for a butt free environment. We are open to discuss with all stakeholders the alternatives to deliver this vision. This may include the removal of filters from cigarettes, substitution of alternative materials, or simply a national program for data, awareness, infrastructure and collection and recycling programs”.
The window for the Commonwealth to ask for nominations for new products to be added to the Priority List for Product Stewardship is closing soon. No More Butts has made available an easy-to-follow guide to enable individuals and organisation to make a nomination in less than 10 minutes.
As continually the most littered item in Australia, up to 50% of all cigarettes consumed in Australia are littered every year. A new report commissioned by WWF and released in December 2021, suggests that up to 8.9 billion cigarettes are littered annually in Australia.
A cigarette butt can take up to 15 years to break down and, whether in the natural environment or in landfill, they can cause significant damage to our planet. They leach toxic chemicals, such as arsenic and lead, into the environment and pollute our water and impact our soil quality.