Sun’s out, butt’s out!
Many smokers aren’t even aware that cigarette filters are made of thousands of particles of plastic. Yes, it’s true – and by simply throwing your cigarette butt on the ground, they get washed down drains and ultimately land up in our oceans.
According to A Waste Free World on Instagram, cigarette butts are the most common find at beach cleanups, and one butt can contaminate up to 200 litres of water. The main question with most single use plastics (and yes, we’ll categorise cigarettes under this as well) – is what to do with the already million pieces we have accumulated throughout the years?
Scientists don’t even REALLY know if plastic will ever biodegrade or simply fragment into microscopic granules when being exposed to the sun. That’s why certain news sources cite a 500-year estimate while others prefer a 1,000-year lifespan. According to some plastics experts, all these figures are just another way of saying “a reeeeeally, reeeeeally long time.”
